MATT TYSON

Staff Writer

The Coffee County volleyball team went the distance, but ultimately came up just short Tuesday night.

Welcoming Columbia Central for a Class 3A District 9 match, the Lady Raiders battled through five sets but fell in a tiebreak in the fifth set to lose 3-2.

The result gave Coffee County a regular-season split with the Lady Lions, after taking the previous meeting in Columbia 3-2 on August 27.

“They just had some balls fall where we didn’t,” Coffee County coach Jon Spears said. “I think we played great tonight, we didn’t give up, we fought like we always do. Up there, we got them in five, they got us in five. Things just didn’t fall our way tonight.”

Trailing Columbia early in the first set, Coffee County kept it close before tying it late at 18-18. The Lady Raiders went on take control from there and win the set 25-20.

Coffee County followed this up by building an early lead in the second set, before the Lady Lions began to climb back into it as well. Up 13-12 midway through the set, the Lady Raiders gave up the next six points to fall into an 18-13 hole. Columbia maintained control through the set’s remainder, winning it 25-20 to tie the match at 1-1.

The Lady Lions continued to maintain this momentum in the third set, jumping out to an 11-3 lead. Coffee County briefly began to narrow the gap from there, outscoring Columbia 5-2 over the next seven points to cut the Lady Lion lead to 13-8. Columbia was able to hold off the Coffee County advance and win the set 25-18.

Now trailing 2-1 on the match and needing to win the fourth set to give themselves a chance, the Lady Raiders broke an early 5-5 tie and maintained a narrow lead as the set continued. Coffee County built up a little more space late and went on to tie the match at 2-2 with a 25-17 set victory.

A close battle in the decisive fifth set followed, with the two teams keeping right with each other throughout. Tied at 15-15 and needing to win by two points, Danni Hillis delivered a kill to put the Lady Raiders up by one. A serve into the net on the next point brought Columbia right back, tying it once again at 16 apiece. The Lady Lions went on to take the next two points to win the set 18-16 and secure the match.

“We’ve gotta keep our energy up at all times. Even if we make a mistake here and there, I think we got down a little bit on ourselves,” Spears said. “We’ve gotta cut that out. We’ve gotta let it go and go on to the next one.”

Andon Selvog and Isabelle Saner led the team in aces with five each. Hayleigh Harris followed with two. Hillis, Blaine Weaver and Jenslee Nogodula each had one ace.

Nogodula once again broke her own single game school digs record, finishing the evening with 39 to surpass her previous record of 30 that she set earlier this season. Selvog followed with 20, finishing just ahead of Harris with 19. Hillis added 11 digs. Cailey Sturgill was credited with six. Cara Newlin came away with four digs. Saner picked up three, with Weaver and Paisley Dyer following with two each. Addy Wild had one dig.

Hillis was the team’s kills leader with 15 on the match. Up next was Newlin with 10. Harris brought in five kills. Sturgill and Wild both added three kills each. Selvog, Dyer, Saner and Daisy Kapise each had one kill.

Dyer took the top spot for blocks with four over the course of the match. Newlin followed with two. Hillis and Wild had one block each.

Selvog led the way in assists with 22. Saner brought in seven. Nogodula added three assists. Newlin had one.

Coffee County (14-11) remains at home for another district match against Franklin County Thursday evening. Start time is set for 6 p.m.