A limited number of Lady Yellow Jacket volleyball fans entered The Hive Wednesday, Dec. 2 to watch the JV and varsity teams take on Cherokee. The matches were scheduled for Tuesday, but inclement weather forced a postponement. The weather might have been cold, but the Lady Jackets were red hot, winning the JV match 2-0 and the varsity contest with a 3-0 sweep.
In the JV contest, Hayesville established momentum and dominance early. The home team out scored their opponent 25-8 to go up 1-0. Cherokee refused to go quietly, totaling 17 points before the Lady Jackets hit 25 to win the set and the match.
Before the varsity contest could be played, JV fans exited the gym, their seating section was closed off for cleaning and a new, freshly sanitized section was opened for the incoming varsity fans.
Once the final match of the night got underway, the Lady Jackets found themselves in a battle. Just when it seemed Hayesville was on their way to victory, the Lady Braves would make a run at the lead. Luckily, the home team was able to hang on and get the crucial first set victory 25-20.
Set two saw the Lady Jackets settle in and play closer to their ability. Hayesville went up 2-0 with a 25-12 set win. The third set, which proved to be the final one, was almost a repeat of the second one. The Lady Jackets were able to limit the damage done by Cherokee and won the match 3-0 with a 25-14 set victory.
Next up for the teams will be road matches in Hiwassee Dam Friday, Dec. 11 followed by a home contest against Robbinsville Monday, Dec. 14. Start time for JV will be 5 p.m. both dates with varsity following.
VARSITY LEADERS VS CHEROKEE
Jocelin Buckner: 16 kills, six ace serves, one block.
Hallie Johnson: four kills, two digs, one block.
Emma Shook: 20 assists, one kill, three ace serves, seven digs.
Jayden Moore: three kills.
JV LEADERS VS CHEROKEE
Madison Martin: four kills, three ace serves, two blocks, one dig.
Morgan Crawford: 7 digs, three ace serves.
Katie Pierce: eight digs, one kill, one ace serve.