BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Northside Christian Academy’s volleyball team swept Cedar Key to reach the championship match, where it lost 2-0 (25-11, 25-19) to Hilliard at Northside’s annual Dig Pink Tournament on Oct. 4.
The tournament consisted of six teams in all, with Hope Christian Academy, Crossroads and Hawthorne also part of the field.
Cedar Key won the consolation championship match by defeating Hope 2-1 (22-25, 25-20, 15-9).
Participating teams make a monetary donation each year to support someone in their fight against cancer. This year, Northside Coach/Athletic Director Todd von Weyhe presented a check in the amount of $1,000 to Charles “Ed” Belyew.
Northside’s first match of the tournament was a 2-0 loss to Hilliard. The Eagles bounced back by defeating Crossroads 2-0 (25-14, 25-14).
It was just an 8-6 lead for Northside in the first set against Crossroads when the Eagles scored five straight points with Maddie Garrison serving. The Eagles put together another 5-0 run with Baeleigh Bradley serving to go up 21-9. Northside eventually won on a Crossroads error.
In the second set, it was again a 5-0 run with Garrison serving to turn a close score into a six-point Eagles lead. One of the points came off a Garrison ace as Northside took a 14-8 lead.
Bradley recorded two aces to help turn a 19-13 lead into a 22-13 lead.
Northside led 23-14 before closing it out, scoring the final two points with Briley Gay serving.
The Eagles recorded another sweep when they defeated Hawthorne 2-0 (25-12, 25-13). Brooklyn Cooper had a tip for the match-winning point.
Northside then defeated Cedar Key 2-0 (25-20, 25-8).
Cooper and Gay each had a kill with Bella Smith serving as the Eagles took a 17-11 in the first set. Smith would add an ace to make it a 19-11 game.
Two service points by Bradley put Northside up 22-12.
Cedar Key made a late run before committing an error that gave the Eagles the 25-20 win.
Northside led 5-3 in the second set before scoring three straight points with Bradley serving. Another three-point stretch with Stella Vahlakis serving made it a 12-4 game before the Eagles put a 6-0 run together with Garrison serving. That gave the Eagles a commanding 22-6 lead before ultimately winning 25-8.
In the championship match against Hilliard, Northside trailed only 9-8 before the Flashes scored six straight with Jayden Green serving. Green had three aces during that span, which also included two kills by Kierstin Northern.
Another 6-0 run with Northern serving put Hilliard up 22-10 before the Flashes ended the set with a 14-point victory.
The Eagles trailed 8-5 in the first set before taking a 9-8 lead with Addison Wilson serving. Bradley had points off a kill and a tip.
It was 10-9 in favor of Northside when Smith scored two points off consecutive tips during a 3-0 run with Garrison serving.
Hilliard, getting two aces and a kill from Lyndi Smith, would take the lead for good with a three-point span that put the Flashes up 19-16. Two aces by Sara Buchanan helped the Flashes later take a 23-17 lead.
The Flashes scored the match-winning point on an Alyssa Hallman kill.
