BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School’s volleyball team had its season put to an end by Branford in the Region 3-Rural championship match for the third straight year, with the top seed Buccaneers defeating the third seed Tigers 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-14, 25-14) on Oct. 28 in Branford.
The Tigers (21-9) took an 11-3 lead in the first set after a 9-0 run, but Branford (22-4) strung together nine points of its own to go up on top.
Union trailed 23-16 before scoring seven straight points. A Jailyn Simmons kill made the score 23-21, while a Morgan Smith kill tied it up at 23-23.
Branford would force side-out, but was unable to score another point. Smith had a kill to give the serve back to the Tigers. They ended the set with two straight kills from Mallory Waugh and Smith.
The second set would be another close contest. It was tied at 19-19 before the Bucs scored four straight points in what would be a four-point Branford win.
Union kept it close early in the third and fourth sets before the Bucs gradually pulled away in each.
Branford will play a state semifinal match against Williston (11-10) on Tuesday, Nov. 4, while the other semifinal will pit Chipley (23-6) against Liberty County (24-5).
The winners will play for the championship on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
Branford was the state runner-up last season to Liberty County.
This was the fifth time in six years Union has advanced to at least the regional finals and the 10th time in the last 11 seasons the Tigers have qualified for the postseason.
Head Coach Tifani Knox has guided the Tigers to one district championship, one regional championship and a total record of 70-40 in her four years.
The Tigers will say goodbye to five seniors: Simmons, Bella Johns, Indi Knox, Shaley Maloney and Abby Williams. Simmons finished in the top 10 in kills and blocks in all of the Rural Class, while Johns and Williams had top-10 marks in digs and assists, respectively.
