Good results for Good Hope MS in home opener:
GDW Analysis:
GOOD HOPE: Middle school volleyball took center stage Monday from Good Hope Gymnasium.
It was the home opener for Good Hope with the 8th graders going 3 & 0 vs. solid competition from Harmony, Cullman and Addison.
The 7th grade gained a split in sweeping Harmony before they lost in a tiebreaker to Cullman 2 games to 1.
Good Hope swept Harmony 25 to 6, 25 to 6 in getting the event started.
The Lady Raiders then defeated Cullman 25 to 8 and 25 to 13. They would take a break as the best match of the day would go between Cullman and Addison in the 8th grade category.
Both went after each other and when it ended., a long and exciting victory by Cullman over Addison. Cullman won the first set 25 to 20, with Addison a 25 to 14 winner in Game 2, sending the battle into a tiebreaker.
This one would go for a while as Cullman claimed the match in a 22 to 20 final.
Then Good Hope returned to the floor and took down Addison in straight sets 25 to 10 and 25 to 15.
In regular season play, Good Hope's 8th grade is 5 & 0 as the season started last Thursday in a tri match at Fairview, sweeping Vinemont and Fairview.
Coach Tiffany Hinkle Pope had a team effort in the three matches.
Lakyn Burgess scored 13 straight service points in the first set with Harmony.
She continued to show solid play from the service line in Game 2 and had support from Kylee Smith with five points and four in a row from Bella White.
From the Cullman match, White nailed eight in a row in the opener an ace.
White stayed consistent with six in a row she tallied in the 2nd game. Burgess would close out the sweep of Cullman, scoring the final five points with one being an ace.
Cullman earned victory in the first set with Addison as Haylie West tallied four service points in clutch play. The Lady Bearcats held a late 22 to 15 lead as Addison made a run before the first set ended with a service point by Reagan Burden.
Stepping it up for Addison in carrying the Lady Bulldogs in the 2nd game was Delia Woodard. Woodard excelled in her play on the front line and service area as this match would enter Game 3 with both looking to finish it in dramatic fashion.
Both would rotate once the game got toward match set. One would take the lead, only for the other to fight back as both displayed an evenly played contest Monday evening at a neutral site.
Woodard got a kill that tied it for the final time at 20 to 20.
Cullman then moved back on top with a volley by Ansley Aldredge and the game winner on a kill from Burden.
Aldredge factored in on a series of plays in the tiebreaker to allow Cullman to post a win and a loss in visiting Good Hope.
Contributing to the win for the Lady Bearcats were Samantha Johnson and Haylie West.
Providing good play for Addison aside from Woodard were Ella Williams, Morgan Lee, Saibre Dover and Braylee Bartlett.
Good Hope had a solid first set with Addison by Ashlyn Link with four service points, plus Gracie Bates, Smith, Burgess, Isabella Guzman and Peyton McSwain doing their role too.
In the 2nd set, Addison jumped out to an 8 to 1 lead six straight service points from Hadley Welch. Willow Kirkpatrick scored on a serve for the Lady Bulldogs to make it 11 to 4 as Good Hope answered with a comeback.
An ace by Burgess made it a tie game at 11. She then served three more with the Lady Raiders going ahead 14 to 11.
McSwain put the game out of Addison's reach from the service line with the last five points. McSwain is a left hander as her serves were not easy for Addison to handle between the front row and back line.
The match ended at 7:55 p.m. The two rivals battled one another for 35 minutes.
Photo of Good Hope captain Peyton McSwain (39) in coin toss with Bfristol Baggett (18) of Harmony Monday from Good Hope Gym.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton
