On September 24, the Leon County Middle School volleyball season closed with two championship games. Middle school sports in the county are divided into two districts, District 1A is for smaller middle schools and District 2A is for larger schools. The championships were played back-to-back at Leon High School. The 1A game featured the 6-3 Fairview Falcons vs the 4-5 Griffin Tigers, and the 2A championship featured undefeated Montford Mustangs vs the Deerlake Bucks, whose only two losses came at the hands of the Mustangs.
The Falcons had dominated District 1A in volleyball winning multiple championships in the previous years. The Tigers came in looking to make a name for themselves as contenders. It would be a hard fought three sets. Out of the gate, the Falcons’ energy and supportive crowd gave them an edge, sparking a 21-11 start. However, the Tigers refused to go down lightly. Using height to their advantage, Griffin went on a stunning 7-1 run. Fairview then quieted the now noisy Tiger crowd, ending the set 25-21. The second set featured five lead changes, and Fairview came out on top. After an even 10-10 score, Griffin rallied to take an 18-12 lead. The Falcons mounted a comeback and never looked back, winning the set 25-22. The final set was a display of the Falcons’ all-around talent, enroute to a 25-6 win.
Later that evening, Montford, coached by Angela Hultquist, attempted a seventh straight district title. Standing in their way were the Bucks, coached by Michelle Kelley. The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead in the first set, with powerful spikes from Rhiannon Carlile and Raleigh Fidrych. Leading 10-7, Montford went on a huge run, and pulled away to finish the set 25-10. The second set also went in Montford’s favor and featured one of the night’s most spectacular plays. With the Mustangs boasting a 17-7 lead, the Bucks’ Teagan McGinnis spiked the ball. It ricocheted off two Mustangs, leaving them to their last hit. In a desperation attempt, Carlile slid and kicked the ball high over the net, and it landed in the back corner of Deerlake’s zone five. Montford star Eleanor Hearn then helped finish off the set 25-10. In the final set, the Bucks played Montford closer, yet Montford still pulled away late to sweep the night and claim the District 2A title.
Photo: Montford’s Eleanor Hearn executes a kill
Be the first to leave a comment on this article.