LATE NIGHT INSANITY: Somerset Christian narrowly falls to Corbin
- Jacob Pratt
- Aug 21, 2024
- 4 min read
SOMERSET - The start of the 2024 volleyball season was on Monday, but for the Somerset Christian Cougars, their path back to the regional title game was on Tuesday at the Cougar Den, as they welcomed in the Corbin Lady Redhounds, another team that made it to their regional title game last year. For these two regional runner-ups, Tuesday was a chance to see how they stack up early in the season and for Somerset Christian, this was the first look at the program after all-time great Addison Cunnagin graduated.
It looked to be a quick one as well, as Corbin raced out to a 2-0 lead and looked to be cruising to a sweep. However, the cardiac Cougars found their mark and won the next two sets, sending the game into a tie-breaking fifth set and also sending the crowd at the Cougar Den, or what was left of it, as this game was still going on near 11 p.m., into a frenzy. Both teams battled, but it was ultimately the Redhounds who had just enough hitting up front to sneak by Somerset Christian 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 15-12).
It seemed to be all visitors early on in the first set, as all the Cougars could really muster were two kills from junior Sophia Barnett as they were down 9-4. Two straight kills from sophomore Sara Tucker brought the Cougars within five again at 11-6, although three straight points from Corbin forced head coach LaDawna Tucker to call for a timeout.
Somerset Christian finally got things rolling in the middle of the set, as an ace from freshman Selah Scicchitano, kills from Barnett and juniors Emma Grace Warren and Elise Meggs, plus a block from sophomore Catherine Hardy made the score 19-13 and forced the Redhounds to call timeout. A kill and an ace from junior Brook Mills stopped a 6-0 Somerset Christian run, but the Cougars continued to force their way into the game. The Cougars were able to get to 22 before an attacking error (4 hits) gave Corbin the set-winning point and put their opponents up 1-0 after the 25-22 set win.
The second set started off much closer between the two teams, with kills from Barnett and Tucker and an ace from sophomore Caroline Mounce giving the Cougars an early 5-3 lead. Corbin was able to knot it up at 6-6, but a quick 4-1 spree by Somerset Christian forced a timeout from the Redhounds. Corbin kept the game close midway through the set, but again some well-timed kills from Tucker and Barnett forced another Corbin timeout with the Redhounds trailing 20-18. The score was finally tied back up at 21-21 after the Cougars were called for a lift following a great volley between the teams, and that was all the momentum the 'Hounds needed to win the set. A service error and a kill gave Corbin the 2-0 game lead after winning the second set 25-23, and it looked like the first game of the season was going to be a loss for the Cougars.
Things started off back-and-forth again in the third set, before a kill from Tucker and an ace from Meggs gave the Cougars an 8-7 lead and forced a timeout for the Redhounds. Tucker and Mills traded kills right and left as neither team could create much space on the scoreboard. That was until two aces in three serves from freshman Ally Idlewine gave Somerset Christian a 16-13 lead and re-energized the fanbase at the Cougar Den.
Corbin began to draw even following a few kills from senior Caroline Combs, but once again a run by the home team forced a Corbin timeout. Kills from Tucker and Hardy got the Cougars within just two points of getting a set win on the board, before a kill from Barnett ended the set emphatically with a 25-21 win for them.
It was all Tucker and Barnett up front for Somerset Christian starting off the fourth set, as the teammates combined for multiple kills as the Cougars got on top early 5-3. However, a kill from senior Chloe Carter and two straight aces from Combs led the Redhounds on a 5-1 run and put them on top 8-6. It was then Tucker's time to takeover, as the underclassman scored three kills on four serves to bring the Cougars within one point at 11-10.
Slowly, life was coming back to the Cougars and following an ace from sophomore Callie Davis, a block from Meggs and two kills from Barnett, the Cougars had all the momentum and were up 19-16 with the Cougar Den rocking. Following a Corbin timeout, senior Ava Maguet was able to get two straight kills and bring the Redhounds within one, with the home team soon being forced to call a timeout as the game was tied 22-22. Whatever head coach LaDawna Tucker said to her daughter Sara in the huddle must have worked as well, as the sophomore was on fire late with three straight kills to earn the 25-22 set and force the game into a deciding fifth set.
A block from Mills gave the Redhounds a 4-1 lead early in the fifth set, but it's almost like the Cougar faithful didn't even see the scoreboard as they were having a party in the Cougar Den. After a timeout, Tucker once again came to life with three kills over the next four serves, tying the set up 9-9 and forcing the visitors to talk it out in the huddle. Following a kill from sophomore Reagan Childers, a kill from Combs put the Redhounds on game-point. Once again, Corbin talked it out following a kill from Barnett, and that seemed to be the best decision, as they were able to focus and get the ball to Combs for a game-ending kill, giving the Lady Redhounds the 3-2 win as the three hour game finally came to a close. No real losers in that type of game however, as both teams gave it their absolute all out on the court.
Sara Tucker led the way for the Cougars with 23 kills in the game, with Barnett not too far behind with 21 kills. Somerset Christian begins the season 0-1 and will look for their first win on Thursday as they travel to Clinton County before returning home on Saturday to host the 12th Region All "A" Tournament at the Cougar Den.
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