LAUREL HILL — Next year Laurel Hill School junior volleyball players Bailey Stokes, Kaylyn McLaney, Olivia Stewart, Lauren Mitchell, Rachel Welsh and Kaylee L’Homme will celebrate senior night at the conclusion of the 2016 season.
But this year the Hoboes had no seniors preparing to leave the program as they hosted Pensacola Christian Academy on Tuesday in their last regular season home match.
In what might be a dress rehearsal for next year a quartet of juniors led the way as Laurel Hill took down the Warriors in four set by scores of 25-6, 25-19, 24-26, 25-17.
L’Homme spearheaded the Hobo attack at the net with 20 kills. Mitchell was good on 11 services ace. Stokes had 16 assists.
Welch added 10 digs for the Hoboes.
“We came out and played real well that first game,” Hobo Coach Kent Zessin said. “But then it was a coaching decision to flip the roster (lineup) around a little (in the second set) and we didn’t react real well to it but we still won.
“In game three we got into a little funk where we weren’t hitting the ball real well and our communication wasn’t good. We have to continue to improve every day and learn from our mistakes.”
The first set was all Laurel Hill (8-9) as the Hoboes led by as much as 19-1 before the Warriors had a brief rally as they tried to match points with Laurel Hill, but Laurel Hill’s lead was too big and the Hoboes cruised to the first set win.
The second set followed a different script but had the same results, a Hobo win.
PCA took an early 5-2 lead before the Hoboes came charging back behind the play of McLaney, Seymour and Micah McVay. The set ended with an ace from Mitchell.
Laurel Hill seemed to be in easy control of the third set with a 17-8 lead when the Warriors started to click as the Hoboes began to struggle. Pensacola Christian outscored Laurel Hill 17-7 down the stretch to take its lone set of the match.
The Warriors carried the momentum into the fourth set in building an 8-4 lead. A Mitchell score seemed to shift the flow of the game back in Laurel Hill’s favor as the Hoboes began to catch fire.
Back-to-back aces by McVay gave the Hoboes their first lead in the set at 10-9. PCA had one last push and regained the lead at 13-12.
A score by Stokes followed by a Mitchell ace put the Hoboes in front for good at 14-13. A few minutes later L’Homme slammed down her final kill as the Hoboes walked off the floor with the win.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill volleyball teams takes down Pensacola Christian (PHOTOS)