MOUNT AIRY — First place South Stokes followed up their 3-1 win against second place Alleghany in the Northwest 1A Conference on Sept. 19 with a stunning five set loss to Mount Airy on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The Sauras won the first set 25-21 but fell 25-17 in the second.
The third game proved to be a pivotal set for the visiting Sauras. Trailing 23-19 and then 24-22, Makayla Bullins’ ace tied the score at 24-24. Rebecca Amos’ attack made it 25-24 forcing the Bears into a timeout. Mount Airy knotted the game on a hitting error by the Sauras and then took a 26-25 lead on a kill attack. Amos knotted the score again with a shot over the middle, but Mount Airy responded again by taking a 27-26 advantage. Jade Bullins tied it at 27-27, but a block by the Bears and an ace by the home team’s Jamari Mason gave them a 29-27 win.
The Sauras went up 8-4 in the fourth set before the Bears scored six straight points giving them a 10-8 advantage. South tied the game at 12-12 and 14-14 before Mount Airy scored four consecutive points giving them an 18-14 lead forcing the visitors into a timeout.
Out of the timeout, Mount Airy added to their score and took a 21-14 lead before the Sauras mounted a stunning comeback.
Payton Bowman’s block made it 21-15, an ace by Amos made it 21-16 forcing the Bears into a timeout. Amos scored another attack making it 21-19 before Mount Airy took a 22-19 edge.
A hitting error made it 22-20, but an attack by McKenna Watson made it 24-20 Mount Airy. Amos’ kill made it 24-21 and then four consecutive hitting errors by the home team gave South Stokes a 25-24 advantage. The game was tied at 25-25 when the Bears committed two more hitting errors giving South the 27-25 win.
South Stokes took an early advantage in the fifth and final set with a 9-5 lead, only needing six points to close it out and stay undefeated in the conference.
Hitting errors by the visitors made it 9-7 and then an acrobatic shot by Sydney Joyce in the back corner drew her team to within 9-8. The Sauras’ Tianna Corum scored an attack out of a timeout , but then a hitting error by South and another kill by Joyce knotted the game at 10-10.
Corum gave South an 11-10 and 12-11 leads, and then Hailey Chandler’s patented back corner shot made it 13-11 forcing Mount Airy into another timeout. The Bears drew to within 13-12 and then knotted the game with a shot over the middle by Mason.
The game was tied again at 15-15, 16-16, and 17-17 before the Bears scored the go ahead point with a block by Mason. Middle hitter Abby Epperson got the kill shot in the middle of the floor giving the Bears the 19-17 upset win and sealing the match at 3-2.
South Stokes falls to 9-5 overall and 7-1 in league play, while Mount Airy improves to 5-11 and 5-3. The Sauras will travel to East Wilkes (4-11, 3-4) on Sept. 26, while the Bears will go to Starmount (1-12, 1-5).
Scoring
South Stokes 25 17 27 27 17
Mount Airy 21 25 29 25 19
Local News
Comments / 0