East Hamilton Beats Hixson For Region 3-2A Volleyball Title

Lady Canes Will Host Sectional For Shot At State Tourney

  • Tuesday, October 10, 2017
  • Larry Fleming
East Hamilton followed up last week's District 6-2A volleyball championship with the school's first Region 3-2A title with a 3-0 win against Hixson Monday at Kingston High School. The Lady Hurricanes will host a sectional match on Thursday at 7 p.m. and a win would send them to the state tournament.
East Hamilton followed up last week's District 6-2A volleyball championship with the school's first Region 3-2A title with a 3-0 win against Hixson Monday at Kingston High School. The Lady Hurricanes will host a sectional match on Thursday at 7 p.m. and a win would send them to the state tournament.
photo by Contributed

(This story has been updated)

East Hamilton defeated district rival Hixson 3-0 Monday night to capture the Region 3-2A volleyball tournament championship at Kingston High School.

The Lady Hurricanes, who beat the Lady Wildcats for the District 6-2A title last week, captured the regional win with set scores of 25-18, 25-20 and 25-21.

It was East Hamilton’s first regional title since 2012 when the Lady Canes advanced to the state tournament, finishing third. The Lady Canes moved up to Class 3A the following season.

East Hamilton also won a region crown in 2011 and appeared in the state tournament.

On Thursday, East Hamilton will host a Class 2A sectional while Hixson will have to play on the road. The two teams will be paired against two clubs coming out of Region 4-2A that plays its semifinals and championship match on Tuesday at Signal Mountain.

Signal Mountain plays Livingston Academy and Upperman takes on Red Bank. The winners square off about 20 minutes later in the title match.

“It was 87 degrees in the gym, really hot, and our kids were tired for the Hixson match,” East Hamilton coach Bruna Langner said. “I’m going home and take a shower first thing. I’m sure Hixson’s girls were tired too.”

East Hamilton (20-13) beat Loudon, the runner-up in District 5-2A, 3-0 by scores of 25-10, 25-16 and 25-5 in the semifinals. Hixson (18-18) reached the title match by knocking off host Kingston, the 5-2A champion, 3-1 and the scores were 25-11, 25-13, 22-25 and 25-9.

“We played really good defense tonight,” Langner said. “The difference between us and Hixson was defense. Our hitters did a really good job and I’m happy the way we played.

“We’re very excited. The coaches have had this team for about three months. The girls have worked hard. I guessed they believed in us (coaches) and trusted what we were telling them and they’re improving every day. They have spent a lot of time in the gym and it’s paying off because we’re having a really good season. Thursday is a big deal. We want to keep winning.”

Langner is assisted by Bojana Hyatt and Donna Kuberg.

East Hamilton entered the 2017 season with new faces – coaches and players.

“It was a new team, really young,” Langner said. “We had a lot of sophomores and freshmen and an eighth-grader, but we knew they had potential. We spent a lot of time in July on ball control and technique. The girls kept asking why we weren’t scrimmaging and we told them this was the way we had to start. We’re lucky that we have a very athletic team.

Madison Hayes had a combined 19 kills, nine aces, four blocks and 26 digs for the two matches. Hillary English added five aces, four kills, 31 assists, 17 digs and two blocks.

The Lady Wildcats will find out their sectional opponent after the Region 4 tournament at Signal Mountain.

“We’ll play that champion and we will have to play hard and smart and just have some fun. This is our fourth straight year getting to Sectional and that’s quite a feat. A lot of people would like to be in our place.

“There are only 16 teams still playing and that’s a big deal. We had a shirt made up before the season: Tradition Never Graduates. Hopefully, it does continue."

Several Hixson players turned in solid efforts in the two matches, including Gabby Tench, Dakota Rawiszer, Abby Rector and Shelby Rector.

Tench had combined stats of three aces, six kills, 16 digs and 17 assists. Rawiszer collected two aces, 17 kills, eight digs and 15 assists. Abby Rector put up seven aces, 10 kills, 39 digs and three blocks while Shelby Rector had five aces, nine kills, 10 digs and one block.

STATISTICS

Hixson 3, Kingston 1 (25-11, 25-13, 22-25, 25-9)

Abby Rector – 3 aces, 10 kills, 35 digs

Shelby Rector – 4 aces, 7 kills, 8 digs

Dakota Rawiszer – 1 ace, 14 kills, 5 digs, 8 assists

Sydni Byerley – 6 kills, 2 digs

Kiera Taylor – 1 block

Annie Zeigler – 4 kills, 5 digs

Marly Fitzpatrick – 3 aces, 19 digs

Gabby Tench – 2 aces, 5 kills, 10 digs, 13 assists

Rachel Cline – 1 ace, 15 digs

East Hamilton 3, Hixson 1 25-18, 25-20, 25-21)

Hixson

Abby Rector – 4 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks

Shelby Rector – 1 ace, 2 kills, 2 digs, 1 block

Dakota Rawiszer – 1 ace, 3 kills, 3 digs, 7 assists

Sydni Byerley – 1 kill, 1 dig

Kiera Taylor – 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 assist

Annie Zeigler – 3 kills, 3 digs

Marly Fitzpatrick – 2 aces, 16 digs

Gabby Tench – 1 ace, 1 kill, 6 digs, 4 assists

Rachel Cline – 1 ace, 9 digs

East Hamilton

Hillary English – 3 aces, 2 kills, 20 assists, 2 blocks, 13 digs

Taryn Robinson – 2 aces, 16 digs

Emma Mitchell – 9 kills, 1 block, 1 dig

Madison Hayes – 5 aces, 11 kills, 3 blocks, 22 digs

McKenna Hayes – 1 ace, 5 kills, 4 blocks, 3 digs

Jala Price – 12 digs

Raine Phillips – 3 aces, 4 kills, 6 blocks, 4 digs

Kayla Ford – 4 digs

Caroline Clement – 3 kills, 2 digs

Jordyn Griffith – 4 kills

East Hamilton 3, Loudon 0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-5)

East Hamilton

Emily Petitt – 2 aces, 5 assists, 1 dig

Hillary English – 2 aces, 2 kills, 11 assists, 4 digs

Raine Phillips – 7 aces, 6 kills, 5 digs

McKenna Hayes – 1 ace, 5 kills, 2 blocks, 3 digs

Jala Price – 5 digs

Caroline Clement – 1 kill, 2 digs

Emma Mitchell – 5 kills, 1 dig

Taryn Robinson – 2 aces

Madison Hayes – 4 aces, 8 kills, 1 block, 4 digs

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

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