Vinemont on top of 3A, Area 11 VB at 4 & 0 in defeating Hanceville:
GDW Analysis:
VINEMONT: A new motto is happening for Vinemont volleyball.
It's called "Bobbyball". This creation is based on Vinemont's new coach Bobby Daniels and how hard the Lady Eagles have worked less than one month into the AHSAA season.
"Bobbyball" got tested Tuesday in a 3A, Area 11 clash at home with Hanceville.
Hanceville gained a 1 to 0 lead in the match by an entertaining 30 to 28 victory.
Then "Bobbyball" went to work, won the next three sets by scores of 25 to 12, 25 to 20 and 25 to 10. The match was played in 1 hour, 24 minutes.
Through 24 matches, the Lady Eagles have seen victory on the court 20 times. This is so different for this program as they have had competitive teams in the past.
But Vinemont has never engaged such a fast start for winning 10 of 11 regular season assignments and posting a 10 & 3 mark in weekend tournament play.
The 20 & 4 mark has a winning percentage of .833 with the Lady Eagles well on top of victories by a school from Cullman County.
Vinemont has now completed half of the Area 11 schedule in defeating Hanceville, Holly Pond, JB Pennington and Locust Fork.
Hanceville started the match with an early advantage. A volley from Makenzie Twilley had them up 12 to 6.
The largest lead in the set would be 16 to 9 after a kill by Alex Twitty.
Vinemont stayed in a calm mode and rallied. The Lady Eagles would use service points by Morgan Flanagan, Caroline Miller, Abby Kuykendall, Mabri Smith and several kills from left hander Carley Stephens.
Stephens converted a kill to tie the score at 24 to 24. Both teams went sloppy at the service line with three consecutive serves going out of play.
A net serve was a score for Hanceville to make it 28 to 28, Now with service, the Lady Bulldogs ended the first set in 25 minutes on points by Karys Henderson.
Vinemont never trailed in the 2nd set with four consecutive points being scored by serves from Smith.
Stephens and Flanagan worked together to provide the Lady Eagles scoring in serves and volleys.
A kill by Flanagan ended the 2nd set to send the match even at a victory apiece.
Vinemont was more steady in its play the rest of the encounter.
A run sent the home team ahead 15 to 11 as they would close out Game 3 by a 25 to 20 final.
Smith continued to show her skills from the service line and the set ended on a kill from Reagan Robinson.
Vinemont exploded quickly in the 4th set for a 6 to 1 lead on a kill and four service points by Stephens.
Hanceville never could display consistency in trying to force the match to a tiebreaker. A 2 hits infraction and a 4 hits violation allowed Vinemont to move the margin to 11 to 4.
As the game went on, the Lady Eagles got a lift from Arleigh Thomason. Thomason would tally three kills off service scores by Smith and the Lady Eagles were running away with the game at 18 to 7.
After Hanceville broke service on a volley by Eden Clements, Vinemont put the match to an ending at 5:56 p.m. on a kill from Robinson.
This victory counted in the standings of Cullman County play as Vinemont is 3 & 0 in winning over Cold Springs, Holly Pond and Hanceville in that segment.
Coach Morgan Hammock's team entered this match by taking Good Hope into a tiebreaker Monday. Good Hope held up the Hanceville upset by winning Game 3 in a 15 to 8 decision.
Vinemont continues Area 11 play Thursday at home against Pennington at 4:30 and will face Cold Springs at 6:30 for a tri match.
For Hanceville, they will be the first opponent for Cullman Christian School on its new floor.
The Lady Bulldogs and CCS meet Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Photo of Vinemont senior Aubrey Sandlin with a "Bobbyball" t shirt before the Lady Eagles played Hanceville Tuesday at Vinemont Gymnasium.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
