The Shadow
NEW CASTLE – For two sets Monday night, the Covington Cougars played perhaps their best volleyball of the season.
But they couldn’t close the deal.
Led by setter Christine Surface, fourth-seeded Craig County bounced back from a two-set deficit to score a 12-25, 13-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-5 win over Covington in the first round of the Pioneer District volleyball tournament.
Surface notched eight straight service points to start the decisive fifth set. Surface led the Rockets with seven aces and 28 assists in the match.
“She’s (Surface) awesome,” said Cougar coach Mary Tyree. “It’s a jump serve and it’s a floater. It comes across the net (like a knuckleball).”
Covington couldn’t rebound from the slow start in the set.
Shanna Woodward and Melissa Carroll both cashed in on Daylin Tyree assists for kills to cut the margin to 9-3, but a Sarah Lipps kill, one of her match-high eight, keyed a 5-0 Rocket run.
“We just couldn’t finish,” Tyree added. “I’m proud of the girls – we are a young team. It all comes down to working in the off-season.”
The Cougars, seeded fifth in the tournament, stunned the Rockets early.
Carroll had six of her team-high 13 kills in the first two sets, while Tyree and Larissa Moore each knocked down four apiece in building the 2-0 lead.
“We played with enthusiasm and the girls believed in themselves,” said Tyree. “We had two great practices Friday and Saturday and we haven’t had that all year. They brought that with them tonight.”
Craig County jumped to big leads in both the third and fourth sets before holding on late.
The Rockets held a 17-11 lead in the third and a 17-12 margin in the fourth.
“In the third game we got behind and you could feel a little bit of the momentum change, but we battled back in both the third and fourth,” Tyree said.
Hollie Fisher’s kill got the Cougars within two – 18-16 – in set three and a Rocket error cut the lead to 23-22.
But a serving error and a Lipps kill secured the set.
Kills from Moore, Carroll and Tyree helped Covington crawl back into game four before falling 25-23.
Tyree ended the match with 21 assists to go with her eight kills, while Moore added six kills to back Carroll’s 13.
“Melissa came out and gave us some of her best play and Hollie Fisher really stepped in tonight and played well,” Tyree said.
“Hollie hadn’t played volleyball until this year and tonight she stepped in for Magen Marshall, who was sick, and did a great job.”
Covington finished the season 6-11.
Craig County (9-12) now advances to Wednesday’s Pioneer tournament semifinals in Bath County against the top-seeded Chargers.
Wednesday 6 p.m. first semifinal will pit No. 2 James River against No. 3 Parry McCluer.
The Fighting Blues advanced with a straight-set, 25-14, 25-19, 25-23 first-round win over No. 6 Highland County on Monday.
