Hawks battled hard, season ends with pride
The Lady Governors took the match three sets to none, sending the Lady Hawks into the losers’ bracket where they had to face Maryville High School Thursday night to stay alive. Two nights earlier, HVA beat the Lady Rebels in four sets in the second round.
Thursday night turned out to be revenge night for MHS. After winning the first set 25-20, HVA dropped the next three, by scores of 25-19, 25-22, and 25-15.
“After that first set, I thought we had some really good momentum and were gonna propel in, and Maryville made a few adjustments and served tougher against us,” HVA coach Eric Boden said. “Maryville’s a really good team.”
The Lady Hawks led 7-2 and 12-6 in the first set. Four in a row by MHS kept it close, but HVA then won 10 of the next 15, and closed it out from there.
It was tied at 10 in the second set when the Lady Rebels ran off five straight. Two more runs of four straight — the second when leading 21-17 —were instrumental in taking the set.
The teams traded points in the third to an 18-17 HVA lead. Four straight by the Lady Rebels gave them a 21-17 lead. Down 24-20, the Lady Hawks won two straight, but the next point finished the set for Maryville.
Now one set from the match, and an appearance in the championship, MHS’s momentum couldn’t be stopped in the fourth. Down 7-5, the Lady Rebels then won four in a row, seven of eight, and 13 of 15, to lead 18-8. HVA couldn’t recover.
“Second and third sets were really tight,” Boden said. “A few sideouts, a few different things and that’s a different match. They ran away in the fourth. I think we panicked a little bit.”
Junior setter Caroline Clauss said, “We were too comfortable. We beat them twice and just thought we were gonna beat ‘em again.”
Boden reflected on his second season at the helm of HVA volleyball. “Overall a lot to be proud of,” he said. “Some things we’re gonna regroup and make better in our program.”
The team finished 22-14. It loses four seniors. “Really, really proud of our team,” Boden said. “We battled hard. The improvement I’ve seen out of our team has been the most exciting part. We return four starters. The future is bright.”
