Dramatic 34-32 game highlights v’ball Ads’ Senior Night match sweep vs. HVA
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Alexa Peck and family
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Ira Au with family
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Reese Schroeder with FHS head coach Jo Madden, left, and family
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Megan Carlton and family
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Jaylee Cox and family
It already was a special evening inside Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium at Farragut High School, with the volleyball Lady Admirals honoring the program’s five seniors Thursday, Aug. 28.
Things became even more special when Farragut and visiting rival Hardin Valley Academy battled in an especially memorable second game — HVA fighting off nine game points while FHS fought off 10 — before the Lady Ads prevailed 34-32.
Farragut made it a match sweep, first winning a tight 25-23 game one before sending the Lady Hawks home following a 25-13 game three victory.
About game two, “That’s the longest, toughest rally I’ve ever had” for one game, said FHS head coach Jo Madden, whose team improved to 4-1 overall, 1-0 in District 3-AAA, after the match win.
“But they have the conditioning because we have a great trainer, Tony Gray. He’s pushed our girls,” she added.
“That’s the longest game I’ve ever played,” junior middle hitter Ellie Ackermann said.
Ackermann and Meg Frank, also a junior middle hitter, were among those Madden praised after the match.
“Those are our beasts, and we knew that we were going to need our middle to be strong coming against Hardin Valley tonight,” the coach said.
Ira Au, senior libero, and Alexa Peck, senior outside hitter, also drew the coach’s praise.
“Alexa Peck is tiny, but she is mighty,” Madden said. “She gave us a lot of spark and a lot of push that we needed. She’s one of our team captains.
“She leads our girls like nobody’s business,” the coach added.
Overall, “We had good energy, and our crowd was real loud, and we eventually stuck it out,” senior Reese Schroeder said. “Hardin Valley is a really good competitor.”
As for that second game, “I’ve never played in a 34-32 game,” Schroeder said.
Waller’s assesment
Hardin Valley, meanwhile, fell to 4-2, 0-1.
“We just have a younger team, and we need to work on it and push forward,” HVA head coach Joy Waller said. “And we’re going to do that.”
“Next time we see them we will be ready,” she added.
Individually, Waller praised her setter, senior Savannah Butler, and junior libero Kami Livingston.
