Lady Maroons come back against Lady Cougars
Sep. 27—It was a big night at the Pulaski County gym, as the Lady Maroons hosted the Somerset Christian Lady Cougars. The Maroons were looking for revenge after falling to the Cougars 3-1 in their game last season.
Both teams were riding high after great performances in tournaments played over the weekend, but there would be only one team taking home a victory here. In a hard-fought game between both Pulaski and Somerset Christian, it would be the Lady Maroons taking home a 3-2 victory (14-25,25-22, 12-25, 25-11, 15-7). Somerset Christian junior Addison Cunnagin was injured during the course of the fourth set, and best wishes and prayers to her for a speedy recovery. Pulaski County head coach McKenzie McCollum was thrilled with the victory over a tough Somerset Christian squad, although was equally upset with the injury to Cunnagin.
"It was a long weekend for us, four days straight of going hard in games and practice, we knew this game was going to be tough. Somerset Christian has a very tough outside. I absolutely hate that Cunnagin went down with injury, but I'm glad my side was able to overcome adversity and come out with the win," she explained.
The first set was close between the two equally-matched foes, as Pulaski had a slight advantage at 9-8 early, after four kills from junior Maggie Holt and an ace from senior Halle Mayfield. Somerset Christian would answer with early kills from Cunnagin, junior Olivia Murrer, and freshman Olivia Atwood, as well as an ace from Cunnagin also.
The Cougars would dominate the rest of the set, however, going on a 17-5 run the rest of the way through to claim the first set 25-14. Somerset Christian would get solid kills from Cunnagin, Murrer, junior Lydia Fisher, and freshman Sophia Barnett during this run. The Cougars would claim set point with a Pulaski County error.
It would be close again early in the second set, as despite an early 9-4 lead for the Lady Maroons, a 6-1 run by the Cougars would tie the set up at 10 points a piece. From there, it would be all Pulaski County for a while, as the Maroons would go on an 11-4 run to take a 21-14 lead late. Senior Anna Farmer would contribute a kill here, along with two kills from Holt and three kills from sophomore Ava King.
A late flurry from Cunnagin, who chipped in four kills and an ace, as well as a kill from Barnett, would lead the Cougars on a 7-1 run to put them squarely back into the set at 22-21. Unfortunately for the Cougars, three straight errors would hand the second set to the Maroons 25-22, tying the game up 1-1.
The third set would follow the same pattern as the first, being close early before a Somerset Christian run would turn the set into their favor. The Cougars would go on a 13-4 run to end the set, with Murrer grabbing a kill and eighth grader Reagan Childers contributing an ace. Cunnagin could not be stopped in the set, with her 11 kills looming large over the outcome, including her getting seven straight kills at one point. The set-clinching point would come through via Cunnagin, and the Cougars would take the third set 25-12 and go up 2-1 in the game.
Pulaski would start fast in the fourth set, going up 8-2 early following three kills from senior Seanna Mullins and two kills from holt, as well as an ace from senior Abigail Clevenger. The Cougars did attempt to mount a bit of a comeback, but an unfortunate injury to Cunnagin would stunt any momentum they had built.
After being up 14-8 midway through the fourth set, the Maroons would go on a 11-3 run to clinch the set 25-11 and send the game to a fifth and final tiebreaker set. Pulaski would get late kills from Farmer and senior Calli Eastham, as well as an ace from senior Elizabeth Dalton and a few aces from senior Ellen Cherry. The set-clinching point would come on an error from Somerset Christian.
It was all Lady Maroons in the fifth set, as they would go up quickly 8-0 on the Cougars following two aces from Clevenger, three kills from Holt, and an additional kill from Mullins. Somerset Christian, despite the injury of Cunnagin clearly weighing on their minds, wouldn't just give up however, as they would manage to score seven points in the set.
The Maroons wouldn't be denied though, and would eventually take the fifth set and thus the game 15-7. Pulaski would have late heroics from Holt with a kill and an ace, as well as Cherry, who dove to the ground on a dig that would eventually drop onto Somerset Christian's side of the court, giving her the set and game-winning kill.
Pulaski County improves to 18-9 on the year, and will next be in action on Tuesday as they travel to district foe and crosstown rival Somerset. That game will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Somerset Christian falls to 19-7 on the season, with their next game on Tuesday as well as they travel to Garrard County for a game scheduled for 7 p.m.
Jacob Pratt is the Sports Editor of the Commonwealth Journal and can be reached at jpratt@somerset-kentucky.com. You can follow him on Twitter @PrattTheNation
