Tough District Matchup For WCHS
The Lady Pioneers faced a tough district matchup Tuesday night in Cookeville, battling through three sets against the Lady Cavaliers. Despite coming up short, Warren County never lost sight of the mission, to compete and play hard to the final point. The Lady Pioneers continued to push throughout the match, showing determination and resilience.
Warren County suffered another loss falling 25-18, 25-18, and 25-15 to Cookeville. Falling to 3-2 overall, 2-1 in the district.
“We knew this was a district game, we knew this one was going to be important to come out and play well. That is what the girls did.” Warren County head coach Erin Blalock said.
Cookeville quickly gained a 11-6 lead in the opening set, putting the Lady Pioneers in an early hole. Warren County struggled to slow the Lady Cavaliers’ momentum before Reese Reinitz stepped up at the service line.
Reinitz helped spark a 10-0 run for the Lady Pioneers, bringing them within two points and shifting the momentum in their favor. The Lady Cavs eventually answered with a run of its own to pull away with a 25-18 victory.
The Lady Pioneers managed to keep fighting in the second set, but once again found themselves trailing early as Cookeville built a 10-3 advantage. Warren County managed to find a way to cut into the lead, but the Lady Cavs maintained control of the set. With Cookeville leading 22-14, Blalock called a timeout, looking to give her team one final push before the Lady Cavs could close out the set. Cookeville finished the set 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead.
Warren County came out strong in the third set, scoring the first three points and trying to build momentum early. After Cookeville answered with two points, the Lady Pioneers responded with three more to take a 6-2 lead.
The Lady Cavaliers refused to let the set get away, tying the score at 6, 8, and 12 before eventually beginning to pull away. Warren County continued to fight, but could not regain the momentum as Cookeville closed out the match with a 25-26 victory.
Despite the loss, Blalock was proud that her team competed against a very talented and hard hitting Cookeville squad.
“Historically, this is a very solid team. We came and played with a lot of heart, mistakes were made but it was the little things that can be fixed. Being this close to beating a good team like that, I am proud of how they played.” Blalock said.
The Lady Pioneers consistently found ways to cut into Cookeville’s lead throughout the match, getting within two or three points in each set.
“We cut it down to two or three points in every set. It just came down to what I was telling them to do, the little things in the timeouts.” Blalock said.
Reese Reinitz led Warren County with 14 assists, while Sloan Youngblood recorded 8 digs and 6 kills, Brynlee Chisam added 5 kills for the Lady Pioneers.
Despite tonight’s loss, Warren County showed determination throughout the three-set battle, continuing to compete and fight against one of the district’s stronger teams.
The Warren County Lady Pioneers will be back in action on Thursday, August 27th in Smyrna. They will play at 6:00 p.m.
