On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Hayesville volleyball program hosted Robbinsville for a Smoky Mountain Conference showdown in The Hive.
Robbinsville's varsity squad entered the event with a 7-1 record and a clear obstacle in the Lady Jackets' path for a conference championship. Hayesville came out hot, building up a 9-3 lead in the early going of the opening set. The Lady Knights came clawing back and took a 17-15 lead. The Lady Jackets came back to even the score, ultimately picking up a hard-fought 27-25 set-win.
The second set started as a back-and-fourth affair, and continued that way for much of the set. When it mattered most, Hayesville buckled down to get the 25-21 set-win and went up 2-0 in the match.
As was expected, the third set was another example of a battle between two evenly matched teams. Just when it seemed one team had momentum, the other would find a way to put points on the board. The intensity increased along with the crowd noise as the teams closed in on the 25-point mark. When it was over, it was Jacket Nation standing tall celebrating a 25-23 set-win and 3-0 match-victory.
In the JV match, Hayesville got off to an unusually slow start and found themselves behind quickly in the opening set. The Lady Jackets were able to put together offensive attacks, but Robbinsville held on to win the set 25-15.
Set two started in a more familiar way for Hayesville as the home team went on a 10-5 run to open the set. The Lady Knights used good ball placement and miscues from Hayesville to close the gap midway through. Robbinsville put up a fight, but the Lady Jackets held on to win the set 25-17.
In the third and deciding set, the Lady Jackets got out to a quick 3-0 lead, prompting the Robbinsville coaching staff to call a timeout. Following the timeout, Hayesville grew their lead to 5-1, triggering another Lady Knight timeout. Robbinsville put up a fight, but the Lady Jackets were able to pull away, winning the set 15-8 and the match 2-1.
The middle school match was an entertaining one. Set one saw Hayesville up, but the Lady Knights closed in the late stages of the set. Ultimately, the Lady Jackets were able to rally late, winning the set 25-23.
Set two highlighted the equality of the two teams early on, with the foes swapping points. Midway through the set, Robbinsville managed to string together several points in a row which caused the home team to play from behind. Despite a late charge from the Lady Jackets, Robbinsville held on for the 25-22 win to force a third set.
In that set, Hayesville got off to a great start and never let up, winning 15-8.
The middle school and varsity teams will be in action in The Hive on Thursday, Sept. 5 to host Hiwassee Dam. HMS will start things off at 4 p.m.
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