Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
It was a rare treat for the Madison County High School (MCHS) volleyball team when they hosted the Lady Bulldogs from Taylor County High School (TCHS) on Friday, Sept. 1. The varsity match started during school hours, giving students a chance to attend the match and cheer on the Cowgirls. The gym was packed for most of the match as the Cowgirls won the close match in five sets. The MCHS varsity team improved their record to 5-3 overall.
In the first set, the Cowgirls established an early lead and held on, thanks to service from Emily Fenneman who scored several points to put the Lady Bulldogs away, 25-15. In the second set, it was the Lady Bulldogs who established dominance early and carried the set, 17-25. The third set was the closest set of the match with each team trading the lead several times. In the end, it was the Cowgirls who came out on top of the close fought set 25-22. The fourth set proved to be another one-sided set with TCHS cruising to a victory, 10-25. In the fifth and final set, the Cowgirls built a lead and never looked back, winning with a 15-10 score.
At the end of the varsity match, it was time for the junior varsity teams to take the court. The junior varsity match proved to be just as exciting as the varsity match had been earlier in the afternoon. This time, however, it was the Lady Bulldogs who would come out on top.
The first set of the junior varsity match began with MCHS establishing an early lead. The Lady Bulldogs mounted a come-back and won the set, 22-25. In the second set, the Cowgirls won several volleys on their way to a 25-18 victory. Then, in the third and deciding set, the Cowgirls fell behind but began to battle back. The final point of the set came as a result of a questionable call when a Madison volley was called out when it seemed to be in-bounds by several inches. TCHS won the set, 10-15.
The next home match for the Cowgirls will be a varsity-only match against the Lady Warriors of Aucilla Christian Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m., in the MCHS gymnasium.