Volleyball advances to area finals with sweep of Clay Central

SYLACAUGA, Ala. — Sylacauga defeated Clay Central in straight sets Tuesday afternoon, winning 25-11, 25-12 and 25-9 to advance to the area volleyball championship match against Moody.

The Aggies received several kills from sophomore Bianca Hall and senior Kennedy Hollinquest in the semifinal victory. Sylacauga also secured a spot in the sub-regional round of the state playoffs with the win.

Clay Central started the opening set with a 3-0 lead before Sylacauga rallied to tie the score at 5-5. The Aggies scored the next five points to take a 10-5 lead, but the Volunteers cut the deficit to 10-8.

Sylacauga answered with seven consecutive points, including a kill from Hall that made it 13-8. The run gave the Aggies a 17-8 advantage and forced a Clay Central timeout.

Hall recorded another kill immediately following the timeout to extend the lead to 18-8. Junior Adyson Twymon later added a kill to make it 20-9, and Hall followed with a service ace to put Sylacauga ahead 21-9.

With senior Mackinlee Motes serving, Sylacauga reached set point at 24-11. Hollinquest finished the opening set with a kill to give the Aggies a 25-11 win.

Sylacauga took a 3-0 lead to begin the second set with sophomore Tatum Green serving. The Aggies extended their advantage to 6-2 before Hall recorded another kill to make it 7-3.

Hall continued to contribute offensively as Sylacauga built a 10-4 lead. Clay Central scored twice to make it 10-6, but the Aggies responded with three straight points to extend the margin to 13-6.

Hollinquest recorded a kill to make it 14-7 and later served during a stretch that pushed Sylacauga's lead from 15-8 to 18-8, including a service ace.

Another Hall kill gave the Aggies a 22-10 advantage late in the set. Hollinquest finished the set with a kill for the second consecutive time, giving Sylacauga a 25-12 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Aggies opened the third set with another early lead, moving ahead 4-1 before extending the margin to 8-3.

Hall added a kill to make it 9-3, and Twymon followed with a point to put Sylacauga ahead 10-3. The Aggies extended their lead to 11-3, prompting a Clay Central timeout.

Sylacauga continued to pull away, building a 15-4 advantage. The Volunteers later cut the deficit to 17-8, but the Aggies scored the next two points.

Senior Tarea Carter recorded a kill to make it 20-9, and Sylacauga scored the final five points to take the third set 25-9 and complete the sweep.

The Aggies will face Moody or Shelby County at 7 p.m. tonight for the area championship. Sylacauga has already advanced to the sub-regional round, but a victory over Moody would allow the Aggies to host their next playoff match.