Sissies rally from two games down to stun No. 7 Peaster
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, September 7, 2008
There has not been anything light about the schedule for the Bridgeport High School volleyball team. The squad has faced seasoned programs such as Canyon, Graham, Breckenridge and Nocona in recent weeks.
The brutal slate continued Tuesday night when the Sissies made the short trek to Peaster, the No. 7 ranked team in Class 2A. It took hours to accomplish the mission but they left town with a thrilling 14-25, 15-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-11 upset victory.
Bridgeport trailed two games to none before head coach Lynn Larson got her team to play to its ability. The hitting and defensive mistakes that plagued the team in the first two games were replaced by big-time plays and a potent offensive attack.
The locals got back on track in game three and never looked back. They won three straight games - playing from behind in two of them - and gave the small but loud crowd something to cheer about.
"Nothing seemed to be going our way the first two matches," Larson said. "We kept our poise and focused on the block and it allowed our defense to step up."
The win lifted BHS to 11-6 on the season. The group hoped to take the momentum to Whitesboro over the weekend for its final tournament of the season.
As for the Greyhounds, Bridgeport had a hard time containing the salty offense. The hosts either capitalized on a miscue or were one step ahead of the defense to slap down easy points.
Peaster did not break much of a sweat in getting to lopsided wins in the first two games. The final three games, however, PHS, got rattled and never got the momentum back it had earlier in the action.
BHS hitter Janie Foreman made sure Peaster did not walk away with a sweep. Instead, the senior pounded on the defense to the tune of 17 kills to eventually give her team the upper hand.
The Sissies also got a season-high 10 kills from sophomore standout Haley Meekins to keep the Greyhound defense scrambling. The hitting duo helped BHS pull away in game three to avoid the sweep.
The fourth game was much like a playoff contest as both teams delivered clutch performances. In fact, the ball crossed the net at least eight times on some plays before either team was able to put it away for a few of many hard-earned points.
Kim Bible was one of many reasons why Peaster had trouble scoring in the late games. The senior cleaned up on defense with a team-high 15 digs to keep the ball in play.
Jessica Hartsell also racked up 12 assists and Bailey Jones added nine solidifying the team's best defensive performance of the year. Foreman and Meekins came through as well with eight digs each.
The defensive gems by the back row allowed Bridgeport to win the fourth game and force a fifth and deciding game for the win. The finale was just as close as the previous two games and the end result was a good one for locals.
Shannon Demmitt, who has been solid this year in first stint as the featured setter, guided the team in the final game. She scattered seven of her match-high 36 assists in game five to lead her team to victory.
"There were several long rallies in the last two games that we came out on the winning end of," Larson said. "This was a big win for our girls. Peaster is always a powerhouse in 2A, and these matches that we are coming back and playing together as a team will pay off in district."
