No. 10 Lady Eagles defeat Columbia & Cullman Christian School:
GDW Analysis:
VINEMONT: Something new happened for Vinemont volleyball to begin a new season.
Vinemont was preseason ranked No. 10 by a well known media organization. The squad entered 2024 with experience personnel, but also a well recognized new coach in Bobby Daniels.
With 921 victories to his name, Daniels has Vinemont believing good things can happen. It will be a work in progress.
Vinemont opened the season Thursday at home sweeping Columbia from Huntsville 25 to 10 and 25 to 14.
The Lady Eagles later left the floor being challenged by Cullman Christian School. Vinemont prevailed in come from behind fashion, 25 to 15 and 25 to 23.
Cullman Christian saw its first season as officially sanctioned by the AHSAA start with success. The Lady Lions toppled Columbia 25 to 14, 25 to 14. CCS is in its 3rd year of volleyball. The school served a 2 year probation period after joining the AHSAA in 2022.
Vinemont's victories:
Vinemont broke a 4 to 4 tie in the first set against Columbia with good plays coming from Morgan Flanagan, Addison Holcomb and Carley Stephens.
A kill by Stephens off a serve from Flanagan ran the lead to 14 to 6.
Stephens would add a kill later after a service point by Mabri Smith as the score stood at 20 to 9.
The first set ended on a volley from Flanagan for Vinemont to go 1 & 0 in the match with the 6A school from Huntsville.
In the 2nd game, Columbia had a 6 to 2 advantage when the Lady Eagles would fight back. An ace off a serve from Abby Kuykendall evened the numbers at 12 to 12.
Caroline Miller delivered an ace to send the Lady Eagles ahead 16 to 13. Kuykendall and Miller set the tone late for Vinemont from the service line. The set ended at 5:11 p.m. on an ace from junior Jayden Friedrich.
Cullman Christian School and Vinemont squared off in the finale with both games being hard fought, back to back battles.
After CCS tied the score at 9 to 9, Vinemont went on a slight surge and moved the margin to 12 to 9 when CCS asked for a time out.
The Lady Lions trailed 15 to 12 from a volley by Vella Richter.
Three consecutive service points by Stephens enabled Vinemont to take a 19 to 12 lead and get control from there.
The final four points from serve were scored by Smith, a sophomore for the Lady Eagles.
Cullman Christian jumped out to a 7 to 0 status in the 2nd set. Rylee Stubbs served the ball well for Sydney Rowell's Lady Lions.
Vinemont stayed patient. A kill by Holcomb then three service scores from Reagan Robinson had the Lady Eagles down 14 to 13.
CCS tallied the next four points with a service score by Lila Sellers setting it at 18 to 14.
Vinemont answered as a net foul on CCS gave the Lady Eagles a point and a 22 to 22 score.
Miller then responded with two serves and the score was 24 to 22 when the Lady Lions broke serve on a kill by Richter.
With a chance to tie, the Lady Lions served the ball out of bounds to end the clash at 7:11 p.m. This match was played in 46 minutes.
Cullman Christian's win:
CCS used four consecutive service points by Richter and five straight from Katelee Blalock to create a large advantage against Columbia.
Sellers had two in a row to score on serve for the lead to go to 20 to 10, enroute to a 25 to 14 final when Sellers had a kill off a serve by Richter.
CCS never trailed in the 2nd set. Four straight points from Stubbs gave them the momentum.
A service point by Richter off a block from Sellers upped the lead to 10 to 3.
Sellers connected on a front line kill to make it 16 to 7.
The Lady Lions stayed strong from that stretch as to be victorious in the first assignment of 2024.
Vinemont is hosting an invitational Saturday.
It starts at 8:30 a.m. with Vinemont playing Lindsay Lane.
The Lady Eagles take on Falkville at 10:30 a.m., play Hayden at 12:30 p.m. and Decatur at 3:30 p.m.
Five schools are competing in the high school division in the first of back to back weekends Vinemont is playing an event on campus in the first year of the coach Daniels era.
Photo of Vinemont VB coach Bobby Daniels and captain Jayden Friedrich in pregame vs. Columbia Thusday at Vinemont Gym.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
