Athens 8th A Struggles to Find Rhythm Early, Battles Back Late

By: Stephanie Dougherty  /  September 20, 2024

The Athens 8th A Junior High Volleyball team faced a challenging match Thursday night, suffering their first loss of the season to a tough Wellsboro squad.

Despite the setback, the Wildcats showed resilience and determination, pushing Wellsboro to the brink in a thrilling Set 2.

In set 1, Athens struggled with serve-receive, falling behind 2-10 after a quick 4- and 6-point run by Wellsboro. The Wildcats couldn’t quite recover, dropping the first set 9-25. However, Athens refocused in set 2.

Madison Sinsabaugh got the Wildcats off to a fast start, serving up 5 straight points. The teams then engaged in fierce back-and-forth rallies, with neither side willing to give an inch. Unfortunately, mid-game service errors gave Wellsboro the edge, leaving Athens down 18-22.

Jonica Walters sparked the comeback for the Wildcats with a crucial ace, bringing the score to 19-24. After a side-out, Kayla Forbes stepped up to the service line and delivered under pressure, firing off 4 straight points to tie the game at 25-25. Both teams dug deep in a thrilling exchange, but in the end, Wellsboro edged out Athens, winning the set 27-25 for the game win.

The Athens 8th B team battled hard in a three-set thriller, ultimately losing a heartbreaker to Wellsboro. After a tough 13-25 loss in Set 1, the Wildcats bounced back in Set 2 with a dominant 25-10 win.

In set 1, Lucy Cole contributed early with 5 points including 2 aces. In Set 2, Evelyn Roy ignited the team with an incredible 9-ace run to take a commanding 10-4 lead. Roy added another 5 points at the service line, including 2 more aces, to lead Athens to victory.

Sorana Marica also played a key role, contributing 6 points and 4 aces, along with a fierce presence at the net, tallying 3 kills on the night. Mallory Chandler chipped in with 4 points and 4 aces of her own, keeping the Wildcats in the fight.

In a nail-biting Set 3, Athens fought with everything they had but came up just short, losing 14-16 in a match that could’ve gone either way. Evelyn Roy contributed another 5 points, including 2 aces, and Avery Jackson added 3 points, with 1 ace, in the decisive set.

Athens 8th A (6-1) and Athens 7th B look to host Troy at home this Saturday, September 21st.