BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School’s volleyball team scored 13 straight points with Kamryn Southerland serving to avoid dropping a second straight set and defeating host Keystone Heights 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 25-16) on Sept. 21.
Keystone (2-12) put its own run together in the final set, scoring seven points with Taylor Marquart serving. Two of those points came off Kiersten Shaw kills that were assisted by Marquart.
Forcing side-out and trailing 13-11, the Tigers (7-7) answered with its string of 13 points — a span that included three aces by Southerland and three kills by Layla Barber. One of Barber’s kills came after she blocked an attack by the Indians’ Shaw.
After an error finally forced side-out, Barber recorded another kill for the match-winning point.
A Shaw kill seemingly forced side-out and gave the serve to Marquart with the score tied at 24-24 in the first set, but the Indians were penalized for being out of rotation, which resulted in the Tigers instead winning 25-23.
The second set was tied at 16-16 when Union scored two points off kills by Barber and Rylie Parrish with Southerland serving. The Tigers later led 20-17, but failed to take advantage of two free balls, resulting in Keystone forcing a side-out off a Kadence Carlton kill.
Keystone couldn’t string points together, though, committing two service errors in the latter stages of the set, in which the Indians committed eight service errors in all.
Union led 23-22 with Jordan Hendricks serving. Keystone’s Abbie Roach was able to block an attack by Jailyn Simmons, but the Tigers eventually scored on a Barber kill. Simmons then recorded a kill for the set-winning point.
The Indians took a 14-7 lead in the third set with Sammi Potter serving, with one point coming off a Mya Jennings kill. Shaw later added two kills to help Keystone go up 20-14.
Three straight points (including an ace) with Barber serving helped the Tigers cut the Indians’ lead to 21-18. Simmons scored two points off free balls and Southerland assists during a four-point stretch with Jurney Crim serving as Union went ahead 23-22.
A Roach block forced side-out and tied the score at 23-23. Keystone got a kill from Shaw in scoring the final two points and avoiding the sweep.
It was the first win in three matches for the Tigers, who were coming off a 3-0 loss to The Rock on Sept. 19.
Union will travel to play Dixie County on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 5 p.m. The Tigers then return home to play The Rock on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m., following a junior varsity match at 5:30 p.m.
The Indians return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 26, with a home match against Oakleaf at 7 p.m. The JV teams will play at 6 p.m.
