BY CLIFF SMELLEY
A young Bradford High School varsity volleyball team picked up its first win, defeating visiting Hawthorne 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-15).
The Tornadoes (1-4) are placing an almost entirely new team on the court this season, with five of the eight players being freshmen. Another two are sophomores.
Bradford lost four straight 3-0 matches against Union County, Hilliard, Baker County and Episcopal to start the season, but finally got in the win column against a winless Hawthorne team.
The Tornadoes scored the first six points of the first set, including five in a row with Kingslee Phillips serving.
Hawthorne (0-3) made a brief, early run, making it a three-point game until Bradford’s Tatum Burkhalter had a kill to force a side-out with the Tornadoes leading 10-6. Bradford then scored four straight points, with Victoria Hudgens recording three service aces and Autumn DeKorver getting a kill.
Two more DeKorver kills and two aces by Burkhalter later helped the Tornadoes go up 19-8.
Wynter Barrington had two kills late in the set, with the second resulting in the game winner.
The second set began with Burkhalter making two diving digs, both of which led to kills by Barrington. Those plays, along with an ace by Phillips, gave Bradford the first three points.
It was a 5-5 game when the Tornadoes scored 12 points with Maduo Wei serving. DeKorver had two kills during the run, which also included two aces by Wei. Burkhalter and Hudgens each had a kill as well as Bradford took a 17-5 lead.
DeKorver added two more kills late in the set, while a Burkhalter spike led to the winning point, sending the Tornadoes into the third set with a 2-0 lead.
Bradford was struggling in what would be the final set and led only 13-12 before scoring four points with Ky’lee Johnson serving. Burkhalter and Hudgens each had a kill in helping the Tornadoes go up 17-12.
A Burkhalter kill and aces by Barrington and Hudgens helped Bradford build a 23-14 lead.
DeKorver ended the match with a kill.
The Tornadoes host Interlachen on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m., following a junior varsity match at 6 p.m. Bradford then hosts Keystone Heights on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m., with the JV teams playing at 6 p.m.
