Last year, Pendleton County and East Hardy eyed each other warily all season long and then afterwards as well. Both squads earned a berth in the state volleyball tournament last season and brought back most of the players that elevated them to that opportunity.
The Cougars and Wildcats also have a mix of newcomers developing their skills while playing some of the best in the region.
East Hardy jumped ahead early, with Pendleton County tying the game at one when Callie Judy set up a Colbie Wimer spike. After the Cougars surrendered a point by serving in the net, they scored the next eight in a row. Phoebe Pownell’s set to Wimer for a score broke the run and set the mark at 11-3, East Hardy.
Not long after, Wimer and Tia Heavner picked up the team’s fifth point with a block at the net. The Cougars closed out the first set with a 25-9 win.
Set number two saw the Wildcats leap in front early. Wimer fired a shot to the sideline for the first point, then scored on three straight aces to extend the lead to 4-0. East Hardy scored and picked up the serve, but a Kinsley Price spike brought the serve back to her team.
Alyssa Bennett fired a shot off the hands of a defender and pushed the lead to 6-1, advantage Wildcats. A few serves later, she picked up an ace and put the score at 8-3.
East Hardy then righted its ship and outscored Pendleton County 22 to six to earn the second set 25-14.
The first two sets saw the Wildcats playing well at times, but then falling into mistakes that gave East Hardy opportunities to pull away.
In the third set, those mistakes were minimized. Price started off by blocking an East Hardy attempt at the net and taking the initial point.
Wimer extended an early lead with a hit to the middle, putting the mark at 4-2. Pownell then set up Bennett for a scoring play, extending the lead to three.
The Cougars battled back and took the lead at 10-8. Wimer received a ball from East Hardy, popped it up to Pownell, who returned the ball to Wimer for a spike. Pendleton County surged ahead to 13-11, but the Cougars would shortly afterward tie the set with a spike.
Wimer received a hit from the Cougars, sending it to Judy, who then set up Price with a tap to the middle, making the score 14-13. East Hardy would go on a four-to-two mini run that gave them an 18-15 advantage. The Cougars then gave up a point by serving into the net.
Down 18-17, the Wildcats sent Bennett to serve. Her two consecutive aces gave her team a 19-18 lead. East Hardy, however, allowed only one more point from the Wildcats as they sealed the win, 25-20.
The contest with East Hardy took place during a tough stretch of games. Pendleton County participated in a tri match with Petersburg and Martinsburg. Petersburg and Martinsburg both defeated the Wildcats two sets to nothing. Both Class AAAA Bulldogs and the Vikings have enjoyed great success early in their respective seasons.
Last Thursday, the Wildcats traveled to Pocahontas County. The Warriors have struggled early in their year and dropped three straight sets to Pendleton County 25-6, 25-9, and 25-14.
On Tuesday, Pendleton County engaged Tucker County, who went into the game with a 2-5 record.
On Sept. 22, the Wildcats host the often pesky Paw Paw Pirates who as of press time have a 2-3 record with wins over Tygarts Valley and Union.
After that, the schedule toughens up considerably with a Sept. 25 tournament against Musselman, Jefferson, Spring Mills, and Hampshire, then matchups on Sept. 26 against Washington, Martinsburg, Hedgesville, and Cabell Midland.
