BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Northside Christian Academy recorded the sweep in a volleyball matchup between cross-county rivals, defeating visiting Hope Christian 3-0 (25-15, 2513, 25-18) on Sept. 19.
The host Eagles led 12-8 when they scored four points with Jodey Garrison serving. Garrison had an ace, while Baliegh Bradley recorded a point off a tip to help put Northside up 16-8 before Hope’s Mackenzie McRaney forced side-out with a kill.
Northside’s Briley Parrish had an ace during a 3-0 run that also included a Brooklyn Cooper kill off an Emma Crews assist. The Eagles built a 21-10 lead.
The Lions struggled to score off its serves for most of the set, but did string two points together with Bree Odom serving. Both points came off Addyson Wilson kills.
A kill by Northside’s Alexi Welsh ended the brief run, giving the serve to the Eagles’ Harden, who recorded an ace for the set-winning point.
Northside held a three-point lead in the second set before stringing seven points together with Harden serving to go up 16-6. Harden had an ace, while Crews earned a point with a tip over the net.
A kill by Parrish and an ace by Maddie Garrison helped the Eagles build a 23-9 lead.
Cooper ended the set with a kill.
Hope got off to a good start in the third set, getting a kill from Alyssa Hunt and an ace from Ashlyn Crews as the Lions led early 7-3.
It was 8-5 in favor of the Lions when Northside scored four straight with Harden serving. Harden had an ace during that span, which also included a back-row kill by Jodey Garrison.
The Lions got kills from McRaney and Wilson to keep it close, but Northside began pulling away. Parrish had an ace as part of a 6-0 run that also included a kill by Cooper. That put the Eagles up 21-14.
Cooper added another kill to later make the score 23-16, while Maddie Garrison finished it off for the Eagles with an ace.
Northside was also victorious in the junior varsity match that preceded varsity play, defeating Hope 2-1 (25-11, 21-25, 15-5).
After taking the first-set win, the Eagles went up 15-10 in the second on a 4-0 run that included a Brylee Gay ace and a Caylee Young kill off a Stella Vlahakis assist.
The Lions whittled away at the deficit and tied the score. Northside took leads on an ace from Amiya Jackson and a kill from Caydance Slayton, but side-outs kept evening the score between the teams.
It was 21-21 when Hope scored four straight points with Kinsley Bagwell serving to avoid the sweep. The set-ending run included a kill from Kiersten Bradshaw.
Two kills from Jackson and another from Caylee Young helped Northside take a 3-1 lead in the third set. An ace by Young later put the Eagles up 8-2.
The Eagles got an ace from Slayton that made it a 10-point game.
Hope failed to score a point while serving as Northside pulled away for the win.
