BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School’s volleyball team swept Lafayette for the second straight time, defeating the host Hornets 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22) in an Oct. 25 Region 3-Rural semifinal match.
Third seed Union (21-8) will now travel to play top seed Branford (21-4) for the Region 3 championship on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. Branford advanced by defeating fourth seed Aucilla Christian 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-14).
The Region 3 champ will advance to the state tournament at Polk State College’s Winter Haven Health Center and play a semifinal match on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. The winner will play for the state title on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m.
Union, which defeated Lafayette in the District 6 tournament semifinals, got off to a quick start against the second seed Hornets in the Region 3 match, scoring five of the first seven points in the first set. Jailyn Simmons and Morgan Smith each had a kill for the Tigers, who also got a service ace from Indi Knox.
The Tigers later built an eight-point lead, with a kill and two aces by Mallory Waugh helping Union go up 15-7.
Lafayette (15-7) would cut Union’s lead to four. Sophia Kendrick recorded the first of three consecutive kills as the Hornets made the score 15-11.
It was 17-12 in favor of the Tigers when they scored four points with Simmons serving. Simmons and Lydia Waugh each had a kill during that span, while Mallory Waugh had a block that helped Union earn an eventual point.
The Tigers were one point away from winning the set with Lafayette’s Ella McAdams serving. The Hornets got one point off a Brooke Lamb kill, but Mallory Waugh ended the set by blocking an attack by Kayley Johnson.
Union led 9-8 in the second set before a 4-0 run with Bayley Staier serving. Knox and Mallory Waugh each had a kill, while Waugh added a block in helping the Tigers go up 13-8.
The Hornets scored five straight with Lamb serving, getting two points off Johnson tips and another point off a Havyn Richardson block. Mallory Waugh forced side-out with a kill to even the score at 14-14.
McAdams had two straight aces to help Lafayette take a 17-16 lead, but another kill by Mallory Waugh forced side-out and tied the score again.
Union scored four straight points — including two aces — with Mallory Waugh serving as the Tigers took a 21-17 lead.
Simmons had two side-out-forcing kills, with the second putting the Tigers ahead 23-22 and giving the serve to Abby Williams. Union scored points off two Smith kills to win the set.
Mallory Waugh had a kill during a 3-0 span with Staier serving that gave the Tigers a 9-4 lead in the third set.
It was 12-7 in favor of the Tigers when Lafayette scored three points with McAdams serving. The Hornets got an ace from McAdams, a kill from Johnson and a dump from Richardson before Mallory Waugh recorded a kill, forcing side-out and putting Union up 13-10.
Union built a 20-15 lead before Lafayette got two kills from Johnson and one kill from Lamb in pulling to within 20-18. Mallory Waugh blocked an attack by Copelyn Johnson to force side-out and make the score 21-18.
The Tigers scored two points with Waugh serving, getting a kill from Simmons in taking a 24-20 lead.
Lafayette would score a couple of points before the Tigers closed the match out with the 25-22 win.
