Pitzer, Ernst earn milestones this week; LCHS volleyball defeats Hillsboro
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
DODSONVILLE — Lynchburg-Clay seniors Abby Pitzer and Ashley Ernst have been an important part of the Lady Mustangs volleyball program for their entire high school careers, and this week they each earned career milestones on their home court.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15 in a victory over West Union, Pitzer earned her 1,000th career assist, and on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in a win against the Hillsboro Lady Indians, Ernst earned her 1,000th career dig.
“Abby Pitzer on Tuesday had her 1,000th assist, and tonight Ashley Ernst, our libero, had her 1,000th dig and both played really good games on both night,” LCHS head coach Mackenzie Stevens said. “I’m incredibly proud of them.”
As for the match on Wednesday against the visiting Lady Indians, the Highland County showdown went four sets as the Lady Mustangs won set one by a 25-14 score, followed by a set two win of 25-21. The third set went to the HHS Lady Indians, as it was the toughest set of the entire non-conference match with the Lady Indians winning by a 30-28 score. LC clinched the victory in set four with a 25-12 win.
“Overall tonight my girls had a great game, and not one player really stood out over the other. All the kills are about even, and all of the girls did a great job,” Stevens said.
In the first set on Wednesday night, the Lady Mustangs saw Ernst earn her 1,000th dig in the 11-point win. For the match on Wednesday, Ernst totaled 18 receptions, 24 digs and one ace.
The second set saw the score stay close throughout, with LC leading from when the score read 5-4 all the way to the end of the set. In the second set, Hillsboro led early, but once LC tied the score at 4-4, they went on to score the next five points to make it a 9-4 lead for the home team, including serves from Allison Kohus, as she totaled two blocks, four kills, 15 receptions, nine digs and two aces in the match win.
The second set continued with an ace by Lynchburg-Clay’s Lainie Lunsford. Next was a point by Pitzer, followed by Serene Walker adding to the LCHS lead for a 17-9 lead. HHS fought back, including a kill by Gracie Dean, along with her serving playing a key role in the Lady Indians’ comeback, which got HHS closer by a 19-17 score.
In the match, Pitzer totaled 18 assists, four kills, two digs and four aces for LC.
LC stopped the consecutive scoring of HHS at six straight points with a play at the net by Kohus, but HHS came back again with a barrage of points to make it a one-point score at 21-20 with a point by Julie Middleton. Middleton totaled one kill and 18 digs for HHS in the match.
HHS later made the score 22-21 as they got back to within one point of LC again, but eventually LCHS was too strong as they broke away to win the second set at 25-21.
Then came the wildest set of the four-set match, as set three included the score being tied 14 times and going into extra points as neither team could secure the win at 25 points.
When the score was tied at 7-7, it came off a serve by Kohus, and when HHS tied the score at 9-9 it came off a point from Hillsboro’s Mya Bell. HHS later tied the score at 12-12 when Sinai Roberts made a play at the net for the Lady Indians. Roberts wrapped up the match with three assists and 25 digs.
Then the score was tied at 15 on an ace by Emma Birkhimer of HHS. LC broke the tie with a play from Lunsford, but the Lady Indians returned with a block from Jolee Cummings for a 16-16 score. Birkhimer totaled two kills, one assist and eight digs.
LC regained the lead and built it to a couple points, but each time Hillsboro was there to keep things close, and they made it a 22-22 score when LCHS hit the ball on their side of the court. HHS took a 23-22 advantage and added to their lead to 24-22.
Lynchburg-Clay battled back, tying the score at 24, then taking the lead at 25-24 when Walker had an ace. HHS tied the third set at 25 off a point by Bell, and LC went back in front as Pitzer broke the tied score.
The score was then tied at 26, 27 and 28, but the Lady Indians broke through with two straight points as Dean made a big play at the net, then HHS scored the final point for the 30-28 set win. Dean finished the four-set match with 10 kills, two assists, five aces and 14 digs.
“The girls are working hard and getting better every time they step onto the floor,” HHS head coach Nichole Dickey said. “Right now we are down to seven players, so when they are on the floor they are working. Sooner and later, things will start falling our way.
“We had some nice passes, nice hits and they are hustling. Service-wise, the girls have been serving at over 90 percent all season, and tonight they were at 91 percent. That is awesome they do that. Our senior Julie Middleton serve received really well, and she was talking really well.”
The fourth and what was the final set was tied seven times with LCHS eventually leading 18-9 off the helps of serves by Pitzer. Eventually the serving from Ernst, and the play from LC as a whole, led to their taking a double-digit lead, ending with the win as Ernst had a kill against HHS to seal the set four and match win.
“We have a bad habit when we get down a couple points, we tend to get down in the dumps a little bit, so for us to pull ourselves out of that hole was fantastic, and I couldn’t have asked for a better play,” Stevens said of her team. “To come back in the fourth set was a huge step up from last year, and I’m proud of that.”
For LCHS, other final totals for players included Katie Young (one assist, one kill), Katie McLaughlin (seven digs, five kills), Lunsford (one dig, one ace, three blocks), Natalie Gray (seven digs, eight receptions), Courtney Watson (three digs, 15 receptions) and Walker (one ace, four kills, three blocks and two assists).
Also in the stat column for HHS were Kinzie Gilliland (one dig), Bell (two kills, one ace, 18 digs), Rylie Scott (one kill, 10 assist, 12 digs) and Cummings (one dig).
On Tuesday, Sept. 15 in a victory over West Union, Pitzer earned her 1,000th career assist, and on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in a win against the Hillsboro Lady Indians, Ernst earned her 1,000th career dig.
“Abby Pitzer on Tuesday had her 1,000th assist, and tonight Ashley Ernst, our libero, had her 1,000th dig and both played really good games on both night,” LCHS head coach Mackenzie Stevens said. “I’m incredibly proud of them.”
As for the match on Wednesday against the visiting Lady Indians, the Highland County showdown went four sets as the Lady Mustangs won set one by a 25-14 score, followed by a set two win of 25-21. The third set went to the HHS Lady Indians, as it was the toughest set of the entire non-conference match with the Lady Indians winning by a 30-28 score. LC clinched the victory in set four with a 25-12 win.
“Overall tonight my girls had a great game, and not one player really stood out over the other. All the kills are about even, and all of the girls did a great job,” Stevens said.
In the first set on Wednesday night, the Lady Mustangs saw Ernst earn her 1,000th dig in the 11-point win. For the match on Wednesday, Ernst totaled 18 receptions, 24 digs and one ace.
The second set saw the score stay close throughout, with LC leading from when the score read 5-4 all the way to the end of the set. In the second set, Hillsboro led early, but once LC tied the score at 4-4, they went on to score the next five points to make it a 9-4 lead for the home team, including serves from Allison Kohus, as she totaled two blocks, four kills, 15 receptions, nine digs and two aces in the match win.
The second set continued with an ace by Lynchburg-Clay’s Lainie Lunsford. Next was a point by Pitzer, followed by Serene Walker adding to the LCHS lead for a 17-9 lead. HHS fought back, including a kill by Gracie Dean, along with her serving playing a key role in the Lady Indians’ comeback, which got HHS closer by a 19-17 score.
In the match, Pitzer totaled 18 assists, four kills, two digs and four aces for LC.
LC stopped the consecutive scoring of HHS at six straight points with a play at the net by Kohus, but HHS came back again with a barrage of points to make it a one-point score at 21-20 with a point by Julie Middleton. Middleton totaled one kill and 18 digs for HHS in the match.
HHS later made the score 22-21 as they got back to within one point of LC again, but eventually LCHS was too strong as they broke away to win the second set at 25-21.
Then came the wildest set of the four-set match, as set three included the score being tied 14 times and going into extra points as neither team could secure the win at 25 points.
When the score was tied at 7-7, it came off a serve by Kohus, and when HHS tied the score at 9-9 it came off a point from Hillsboro’s Mya Bell. HHS later tied the score at 12-12 when Sinai Roberts made a play at the net for the Lady Indians. Roberts wrapped up the match with three assists and 25 digs.
Then the score was tied at 15 on an ace by Emma Birkhimer of HHS. LC broke the tie with a play from Lunsford, but the Lady Indians returned with a block from Jolee Cummings for a 16-16 score. Birkhimer totaled two kills, one assist and eight digs.
LC regained the lead and built it to a couple points, but each time Hillsboro was there to keep things close, and they made it a 22-22 score when LCHS hit the ball on their side of the court. HHS took a 23-22 advantage and added to their lead to 24-22.
Lynchburg-Clay battled back, tying the score at 24, then taking the lead at 25-24 when Walker had an ace. HHS tied the third set at 25 off a point by Bell, and LC went back in front as Pitzer broke the tied score.
The score was then tied at 26, 27 and 28, but the Lady Indians broke through with two straight points as Dean made a big play at the net, then HHS scored the final point for the 30-28 set win. Dean finished the four-set match with 10 kills, two assists, five aces and 14 digs.
“The girls are working hard and getting better every time they step onto the floor,” HHS head coach Nichole Dickey said. “Right now we are down to seven players, so when they are on the floor they are working. Sooner and later, things will start falling our way.
“We had some nice passes, nice hits and they are hustling. Service-wise, the girls have been serving at over 90 percent all season, and tonight they were at 91 percent. That is awesome they do that. Our senior Julie Middleton serve received really well, and she was talking really well.”
The fourth and what was the final set was tied seven times with LCHS eventually leading 18-9 off the helps of serves by Pitzer. Eventually the serving from Ernst, and the play from LC as a whole, led to their taking a double-digit lead, ending with the win as Ernst had a kill against HHS to seal the set four and match win.
“We have a bad habit when we get down a couple points, we tend to get down in the dumps a little bit, so for us to pull ourselves out of that hole was fantastic, and I couldn’t have asked for a better play,” Stevens said of her team. “To come back in the fourth set was a huge step up from last year, and I’m proud of that.”
For LCHS, other final totals for players included Katie Young (one assist, one kill), Katie McLaughlin (seven digs, five kills), Lunsford (one dig, one ace, three blocks), Natalie Gray (seven digs, eight receptions), Courtney Watson (three digs, 15 receptions) and Walker (one ace, four kills, three blocks and two assists).
Also in the stat column for HHS were Kinzie Gilliland (one dig), Bell (two kills, one ace, 18 digs), Rylie Scott (one kill, 10 assist, 12 digs) and Cummings (one dig).