Lady Crusaders fall in opening round

The first round of the NCISAA 2A volleyball playoffs saw a match between Harrells Christian Academy and Liberty Christian Academy that was an intense contest filled with moments of high energy and drama. Harrells Christian, playing on their home court, fell 3-0 to the visiting Lady Heat.

The game got underway with Harrells’ Mary Rumbold delivering the first serve,strong and precis and giving the Crusaders the first point of the match and a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for Harrells, the early momentum was interrupted when two HCA players missed their shots, allowing Liberty Christian to capitalize and even the score.

Riley Dixon, responded quickly with a well-executed tactical shot, as she managed to reclaim the lead for her team, pushing the score to 2-1. However, Liberty Christian soon followed with a powerful spike that pushed them ahead, bringing the score to 4-2 in their favor.

Dixon made a valiant effort to respond to a low ball, but the shot missed its mark. Nevertheless, Hannah Smith kept her team in the game with a clean hit, closing the gap to 5-3. The score continued to tighten after Regan Cannon hit out on a serve, giving Liberty a slight edge at 6-5.

The lead was extended to 7-5 as Liberty maintained the pressure. Harrells’ Lexi Bass came up with a critical block to slow Liberty’s momentum. However, the Crusaders struggled to respond to Liberty’s hard-hitting attacks, and soon the score ballooned to 9-6 in favor of the visitors. Liberty made an error, sending a ball out of bounds to bring the score to 9-7, but Harrells’ own mistakes kept them from closing the gap.

Harrells hit the ball out on the next serve, giving Liberty a 10-7 lead. A moment later, the Crusaders misjudged a ball that appeared to be out, but landed inbounds, pushing the score to 11-8. Miscommunication between Mary Willow Rumbold and Riley Dixon added to the team’s difficulties. Despite these challenges, Regan Cannon managed to score from a serve, trimming the lead to 13-10.

Unfortunately for Harrells, their struggles with uncoordinated play continued. Two consecutive outs pushed the score to 15-10. Liberty seized on this momentum, with the Heat delivering another hard hit to extend their lead to 17-10. Dixon rallied with a technical hit, cutting the deficit to 17-11, and Liberty then sent a ball out-of-bounds to make it 17-12.

Bass responded with a crucial block, bringing the score to 17-13, but Liberty continued to score effectively, widening the gap to 20-13. Harrells fought back, with a solid hit and a combined block from Rumbold and Bass, but they couldn’t close the gap quickly enough. Liberty ultimately took the first set 25-23 in a hard-fought battle.

The second period opened with Liberty Christian once again taking the early lead at 0-1. Riley Cannon responded with a powerful hit to equalize, followed by a successful serve from Rumbold, which briefly gave the Crusaders a 2-1 advantage. Liberty, however, quickly leveled the score after a successful strike.

Harrells began to struggle with communication issues, allowing Liberty to pull ahead 4-2. Liberty continued to lead the attack, making it 5-2, and another point soon followed, bringing the score to 6-2. A small break came for the Crusaders, when Liberty sent the ball out of bounds, cutting the score to 6-3. Harrells’ momentum was short-lived, as Riley Cannon hit the ball into the net, giving Liberty another point for 7-3. Smith managed to answer with a hard hit, bringing the score to 7-4. Moments later, Bass executed a timely block, pushing the score to 7-5.

Liberty returned fire, adding another point for an 8-5 lead. Bass hit the ball out-of-bounds on the next play, but Liberty returned the favor with a miscommunication error, bringing the score to 9-6. Regan Cannon made a strong impact at the service line, scoring four consecutive times to bring the score to a tie at 10-10.

The tension in the gym was nearly palpable as the teams fought point-for-point. Liberty regained the upper hand, with their solid coordination and strong defensive blocks giving them a 13-10 advantage. Harrells made a valiant attempt to save a ball with a dive but missed, extending Liberty’s lead to 14-10.

Bass managed another block, trimming the lead to 14-11, but Liberty quickly responded to make it 15-11. Bass continued to contribute, scoring again to make it 15-12, but a hit into the net by Kenzie Malpass allowed Liberty to pull ahead 16-12.

The game became a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading points. Despite Harrells’ strong efforts, including several well-executed plays, Liberty maintained their lead and closed out the second period in a thrilling 28-26 win.

The third period saw a determined Harrells team take the court. Riley Dixon scored early, followed by a strong serve from Rumbold, giving the Crusaders an initial lead. However, both teams began to make a series of errors, hitting balls out of bounds and into the net, which allowed Liberty to jump ahead 10-6.

Bass delivered a technical hit to cut the score to 10-7, but Liberty remained in control. Another mistake from Dixon, who hit the ball into the net, extended Liberty’s lead to 11-7. Though Dixon scored again to bring it to 13-10, Liberty quickly responded, stunning Harrells with a series of points.

Harrells struggled with consistency, as Bass hit the ball out of bounds, followed by the Crusaders missing crucial shots. The score soon climbed to 16-10, with Liberty building on their momentum.

Despite a few additional points from Harrells, including solid hits and defensive plays, Liberty maintained their composure and closed out the third period with a 25-17 win, securing their place in the next round of the NCISAA 2A tournament.

The match saw Harrells fight hard throughout, but Liberty’s consistent coordination and execution ultimately proved too much for the home team.