By Travis Dockery
Sports Editor
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The JV Lady Yellow Jackets' spectacular season has come to an unfortunate end. Competing against their rival Murphy, the Lady Jackets came up short in the final round of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament.
Hayesville looked to be in good shape early on. Although Murphy made them earn it, the Lady Jackets sealed the deal in the opening set with a 25-20 win to take a 1-0 match lead.
In the second, the Lady Bulldogs flipped the script as they wrestled away momentum from Hayesville. A 25-20 win even things up at 1-1 and forced a deciding game three.
With the third set being a race to 15, the intensity was high from the opening serve. Once again the two rivals seemed evenly matched as points were exchanged on a regular basis. Ultimately, Murphy put together a run that gave them the 15-10 set win, a 2-1 match win and the SMC conference championship.
The season may not have ended as planned, but the success of this year's JV squad gives fans of Hayesville's volleyball program encouragement for next season. Those players moving on to the varsity team next season will no doubt make an immediate impact while those returning the JV squad will have the experience needed to help up and coming freshman.