BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
The Bradford and Keystone Heights high school volleyball teams both saw their losing streaks extended after Sept. 11 matches.
Bradford (1-4) has dropped four in a row after opening the season with a win over Keystone. The Class 3A Tornadoes, after a 3-0 loss to Class 1A Union County (a playoff qualifier from last season) on Aug. 28, have played nothing but bigger teams: 6A Fleming Island on Aug. 31, 5A Columbia on Sept. 7 and 4A Baker County on Sept. 11. All were 3-0 losses.
Keystone (1-5) was able to bounce back from its season-opening loss to Bradford, defeating Class 7A Tocoi Creek 3-2 (25-14, 17-25, 19-25, 25-23, 20-18) on Aug. 24 in Keystone. The Indians got 10 kills each from Taylor Marquart and Kiersten Shaw. Marquart added 18 assists and three aces, while Shaw also had six aces and five assists.
Abbie Roach and Emma Stanley each had three blocks in the win, with Roach also recording five kills. Kadence Carlton added 11 digs and four aces.
Since then, the 4A Indians have lost 3-0 to Union on Sept. 5, 3-0 to 1A Newberry (a playoff qualifier last season) on Aug. 31, 3-2 to 3A Pierson Taylor on Sept. 7 and 3-0 to 3A P.K. Yonge (a playoff qualifier from last season) on Sept. 11.
Keystone and Bradford both play matches on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with the Tornadoes hosting Palatka at 7 p.m. and the Indians traveling to play Baker County at 7 p.m. Junior varsity matches will precede each match at 6 p.m.
Bradford hosts Crescent City on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. The Tornadoes then host Baker County on Monday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m.
JV matches will take place prior to each varsity match at 6 p.m.
Keystone will participate in the Friday through Saturday, Sept. 15-16, Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association River City Classic. The Indians then travel to play Clay on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m., following a JV match at 6 p.m.
