Lady Jackets Earn Opportunity to Play for 3A Volleyball Title

By Terry Futrell

The Coalfield Lady Jackets kept their District 3A volleyball title hopes alive as they defeated the Bledsoe County Lady Warriors 3-1 in the district tournament semifinals Tuesday evening at Coalfield.

The closely contested first set was tied five times before the Lady Jackets pulled ahead at 11-10 and never looked back, winning the set 24-18. Molly Huckaby, Mallory Hill, and Taylor Landrum served aces for Coalfield in the set.

It was all Coalfield in the second set as the Lady Jackets took an early 9-1 lead, with Ashlyn Roberts serving five consecutive points. Carlee Kees closed out the set by serving an ace to give Coalfield a 25-12 win.

Both teams stepped up their attack in the third set. Bledsoe took an early 5-0 lead before the Lady Jackets could put points on the board. Coalfield tied the score at 6-6, only to see the Lady Warriors pull out to a 17-9 lead. The Lady Jackets had closed the gap to 18-14 when Taylor Landrum stepped up to serve. Landrum served four points, including two aces, to tie the score 18-18. Bledsoe again took the lead, but Coalfield tied the set twice more before Bledsoe could eke out a 25-23 win in the set.

Bledsoe again took an early lead in the fourth set before Coalfield could get into rhythm. The Lady Jackets tied the score at 5-5. Both teams continued to battle, with the score tied six more times before the Lady Jackets could pull away. Coalfield led by only one point, 18-17, when Carlee Kees stepped up to serve five consecutive points, including four aces in a row, to give the Lady Jackets a 23-17 lead.  Coalfield held on for a 25-19 set win and 3-1 victory in the match.

With the victory, the Lady Jackets earned the right to face top-ranked Van Buren County in the finals on Thursday at 6:00 pm EDT at Coalfield for the District 3A championship.

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