The Red Bank volleyball team has advanced to the sectional round of the state playoffs for a second straight year with a 3-0 victory over Stone Memorial in the Region 4-AA semi-finals Tuesday by scores of 25-15, 25-22, and 25-15.
The Lions lost the championship match against Livingston, who defeated Signal Mountain 3-1 in the other semi-final, which means they will have to travel for their sectional round game.
But for Bailey Lee, Red Bank's lone senior, that doesn't change her goal of advancing further than last season into the state tournament.
“We've worked all season to get back to where we were last year and do it again, but this time change history,” said Lee. “We knew it was going to be a tough day. We talked to each other and said we've gotta come out here and play and put up blocks, and that's what we did. We came out as a team together, and did our jobs.”
Red Bank set the tone in the first set of the semi-final match, dominating at the net behind Lee, Arreyanna Glass, and Ashley Ware. Lions' coach Howard Ricks, known as Coach Buzz, stressed how important it was to control the net in big matches in the postseason.
“Our middles are huge, and you have to have middles to accomplish anything,” said Coach Buzz. “We were without Bailey (Lee) for about a month and a half of the season. Missing a middle like that was tough.”
Coach Buzz continued: “It was huge to get the first set. We had a lot of good discipline and connected well. It really looked like we were together the whole way and were going to be unstoppable all night.”
The Lions made Stone Memorial work for every point they got throughout the match. It seemed as if every point came after a lengthy rally, and Red Bank's back line produced a number of tremendous saves that turned into unlikely points.
Each of those points was crucial in the second set against the Panthers, the second-seed from District 8-AA. Red Bank trailed for much of the set as Stone Memorial looked poised to even up the match at 1-1.
Trailing 13-10 midway through the set, the Lions rattled off six points in a row to take a three-point lead. Again down 20-18, Red Bank took control to close out the set and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
“Our girls didn't slow down at the end of each set,” Coach Buzz said. “They finished the game, and that's one of the things we needed to do. We have to make sure that on the last three to five points we're dominating and earning those points.”
That momentum carried over in the third and final set, as the Lions jumped out to an 11-1 advantage. The Panthers never pulled closer than seven points as Red Bank advanced to the championship match and guaranteed a spot in the sectional round.
“This team has had a lot of ups and downs,” Lee said. “We've stuck together like a family and picked each other up. Being the only senior, I've felt like I've been a leader. Seeing all my teammates love me has impacted me and made me work harder. I love their energy. They never give up on themselves or this team, and that's something that's going to take them really far.”
The final score of the championship match between Red Bank and Livingston Academy was a bit misleading. While the Lions were swept 3-0, they matched the Lady Cats point for point in the first two sets and lost by a score of 25-21, 29-27, and 25-11.
Playing again just 30 minutes after finishing their semi-final match, the Lions didn't show much fatigue as they battled Livingstone Academy throughout the first set. It wasn't until a seven-point spurt midway through the set that the Lady Cats seized control. That run made the score 19-12, and Red Bank never recovered as they dropped the first set.
The second set was an epic battle between two teams that simply would not let the other seize momentum. Other than a brief 7-4 lead for Livingston Academy early on, neither team led by more than two points, and there were 15 ties and seven lead changes.
The Lions appeared as if they were going to take the set and even up the match up 21-19, but the Lady Cats reeled off four points to flip the lead. After trading points, Red Bank faced their first set point down 24-22.
They responded with three straight points, but couldn't close out the set. They fended off two more set points before eventually falling to the District 7-AA champs.
Exhausted both physically and emotionally, the Lions had nothing left in the tank for the third set. While the loss was disappointing, Red Bank won't have to travel far for their sectional round match-up, as they will play at East Hamilton, who won the Region 3-AA championship over Hixson.
Lee led the way for Red Bank, recording 11 blocks and ten kills in the two matches combined. Ware had 11 kills and eight blocks, while Glass finished with seven blocks. Bailee Phillips also had 11 kills, and Shante Smith chipped in eight. Zoe Helms had 30 assists and four aces, and Sydney Hoppe had 20 digs.