By Stephen Smoot
After a tough weekend in which the Wildcats battled strong competition, the volleyball team hosted Class AA Keyser. The Golden Tornadoes brought a team with skill and toughness to Franklin, seeking a solid early season success.
The first set saw Keyser seize the advantage, going up 3-0. On the fourth serve, Keyser hit the ball out, giving the Wildcats both their first point and their first serve.
Alyssa Bennett put the ball in play. The series of volleys resulted in Brynlynn Waggy lightly tapping a shot to the middle of the Keyser defense to pull her team within one. Waggy then set up a strong Baylee Beachler spike to tie the game.
Keyser pulled ahead shortly thereafter, earning a 6-4 lead. A 14 to 10 run gradually led to an 18-16 lead for the home team, but the Golden Tornadoes battled back to a 23-23 tie. They then surged to win the first set 26-24.
Bennett led serving in the second set, with Waggy again finding a hole in the middle of the defense for the first score of the set. Lizzie Alt helped her team to earn a 3-0 lead early.
This time, Pendleton County held tight to the advantage. With the score 8-2, Callie Judy fired a line drive ace against Keyser. The Wildcats enjoyed an 11-2 lead before Keyser tried to work their way back into the game. Shortly after a Breena Bowers serve, Alt fired a spike off the hands of a back line defender to push the score to 16-7. Two serves later, two straight Beachler spikes made the lead 19-7.
Pendleton County cruised the rest of the way in the set, while Alt’s crosscourt shot along the net hit nothing but floor and setting the score at 25-11.
The third set started much like the second, with Pendleton County racing to an early 8-3 lead. During that run, an Emily Poling set helped Alt to fire a spike. Bennett also earned a spike for the eighth point.
Keyser then capitalized on Wildcat mistakes to pull within 9-7. Then down 11-9, the Golden Tornadoes scored two aces to tie the set. A Beachler block at the net temporarily gave the home team the advantage, but Keyser tied it on the next play.
Poling got the serve with the score 14-12. Big plays at the net and a Poling ace put distance between Pendleton County and the visiting team. Aubree Keiter’s play on the back line helped the Wildcats to hold off Keyser as they battled. Keyser brought athleticism and playmakers to Franklin, but the difference in experience between the two squads appeared to make the difference in results.
The Wildcats picked up a lucky break, scoring the 24th point when Poling’s return tapped the net and dropped straight to the floor. A Bennett ace sealed the set victory.
Whenever Keyser breaks a huddle in any sport at any age, the players yell “Keyser pride!” The Golden Tornadoes have a mindset that they are never out of a contest. Down two sets to one, Keyser did not give in. They took a 3-1 lead early in the fourth set, but Pendleton County soon tied the set at four.
The Wildcats took the lead when Judy set up Avery Townsend for a spike in the middle of the net. Four serves later, Alt set the score at 8-5 with an ace. Keyser called time out, only to see an Alt hit to the corner and a Bennett spike to the back corner push the lead to 10-5.
Alt followed that with an ace. When Bennett again found a hole in the back of the defense, the Wildcats took a 12-6 advantage.
Keyser kept making plays to stay within striking distance of the home squad. They closed to within three, but Pendleton County extended the lead again, with the help of a Beachler tap to the middle that hit the floor. Her play made the score 16-9. A four to one run by the Golden Tornadoes put the score at 17-13. Alt, however, extended that on the next play with a block at the net.
Pendleton County surged late. A Judy ace extended the lead to 21-15, but Keyser kept fighting. They closed to 24-22, but a mistake on their side led to the final score and victory for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats hosted Highland County, Virginia, on Tuesday and will host Tygarts Valley on Sept. 17. They travel Sept. 19 to East Hardy.
