Montgomery, Ala. - The Lady Eagles opened up SSAC play on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Faulkner hosted the Point Skyhawks. The Lady Eagles and the Skyhawks went to the wire in a five-set match. The Skyhawks won in the fifth set for the final score of 3-2.
Point 3, Faulkner 2 ( 23-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-12, 15-12)
Set 1
In the first set, the Lady Eagles and Skyhawks battled back and forth the entire set. Faulkner started with two straight kills from Charlee Jordan and Rhiannon Keck.
The two teams then traded back and forth on the next six sets to bring the 5-3 in favor of the Lady Eagles.
Point tied the game with two straight points off a kill from Tianna Kynard and a block from Kayla Johnson and Kynard.
The lead would change for the next few serves until Point took the lead 10-9.
Faulkner tied the set up 10-10 behind a kill from Charlee Jordan off an assist by Mandi Hart. The Skyhawks went on a 3-0 run to push the score to 13-10.
For the next several serves the Skyhawks would hold on to their lead, until Faulkner took the lead after back-to-back kills from Riley Deem and Victoria Wheeler. The score sat at 18-17 for the Lady Eagles.
Point battled to the end, but Faulkner held on to the lead to win the set 25-23.
Set 2
For set two the tempo spilled over for the two teams as they continued to battle serve after serve.
Each team would score a few points and the other would answer right back with a few of their own. Point went on a 5-0 run to take a 16-11 lead. The next couple of serves Faulkner slowly climbed to only down three.
They then went on their run scoring six straight points to take a 19-17 lead. The stretch of points came behind a string of kills from Hannah Bryan and Rhiannon Keck.
The Skyhawks then tied the set back up with two attack errors from the Lady Eagles. Faulkner answered with three more points after two kills from Riley Deem and Ellie Cyr then an attack error from Point.
With the Lady Eagles up 22-19, Point took the lead right back after five consecutive points to set the score at 24-22.
The Skyhawks needed just one point to take set two, but the Lady Eagles dug deep and served up four straight points to win the second set. The Lady Eagles' last three of four points came from a kill by Madison Martin, Ellie Cyr, and Macy Kemper. The final score of set two was 26-24.
Point battled back in the next two sets and tied the match up 2-2 and sent it to the fifth set. The Skyhawks won set three 25-19 and set two 25-12. The Lady Eagles fought hard, but the late power of the Skyhawks pushed them past Faulkner.
Set 5
With the final set and the match on the line, the Lady Eagles jumped out to a quick lead of 7-3 after each team traded points in the first few serves. The Lady Eagles then hit a 5-0 run.
The Skyhawks went on a 5-0 run to take the lead 8-7.
Faulkner tied it back after a kill from Hannah Bryan, but Point took the lead back with three straight points.
Faulkner brought it back within two after a service error from Point, but the Skyhawks went back up three with a kill from Jadakate Judkins.
On the next two serves the Lady Eagles climbed back within one after a kill from Madison Martin and an ace from Hannah Bryan.
Point took a 14-11 lead on the next two serves. Faulkner drew within one yet again after an attack error from the Skyhawks.
The score sat 14-12 and the Lady Eagles looked for the comeback win of the set and the match. The Lady Eagles came up short after a kill from Tianna Kynard. Point took the fifth set 15-12 and the match 3-2 after being down two sets.
The leaders for the Lady Eagles were Charlee Jordan with 14 kills; Mandi Hart with 22 assists and 13 digs. Hannah Bryan had 10 kills and 8 digs. Macy Kemper had 15 assists as well.
The Lady Eagles return to action on Saturday, Sept. 7 for back-to-back SSAC play. They host Life at 2 p.m.
