After being so close to several big wins over the past couple of seasons, the Todd County Central Lady Rebels finally shattered that “glass ceiling” Saturday. The Lady Rebels swept their way to their first ever 4th Region All A Classic volleyball championship, finishing the day with a hard-earned win over Clinton County, the team that prevented the Lady Rebels from accomplishing this task last season.
The Lady Rebels opened their day with the first match of the 4th Region tournament, taking on the host Russellville Lady Panthers. The match was one that Todd Central controlled from the very beginning. The Lady Rebels jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead and never looked back. Leading 15-10, Todd Central closed out the set with a 10-1 run to pick up a 25-11 win.
The second set was almost over before it really got started. Todd Central scored the first five points of the set. With a 7-4 lead, the Lady Rebels effectively finished the set and the match with an 11-0 run to go up 18-4. They would complete the sweep with a 25-8 win.
Lucy Chester was dominant at the net in the match, finishing with nine kills. Addileigh Wofford had 12 assists. Lanie Bivins chipped in with four service aces.
The Lady Rebels’ semifinal match was more of the same. Todd Central squared off against the Glasgow Lady Scotties. The Lady Rebels scored the first three points of the opening set and never trailed. Most of the set, the Todd Central lead was somewhere between 4 and 8 points. The Lady Rebels would end up taking the opening set 25-17.
For a moment in the second set, the Lady Scotties had some hope. For a moment. Glasgow scored the first point of the set to take a very early 1-0 lead. Todd Central scored four straight, followed by three straight from Glasgow to even the match at 4-4. The Lady Rebels then kicked it into another gear. They outscored Glasgow 8-1 to take a 12-5 lead and that was effectively game, set, and match. Todd Central would complete the sweet with a 25-15 win.
Lanie Bivins led the Lady Rebels with seven kills, while Lucy Chester added six. Lynnlee Jones had four big ones as well. Addileigh Wofford was stellar at setting the table, ending up with 16 assists in the match. She also had three aces.
While they would complete the sweep of the day in the championship match, the Lady Rebels had to push to claim their first ever regional title as they took on Clinton County.
Early on in the opening set, it looked as if the Lady Rebels might just keep on rolling. Todd Central quickly hit for a 4-0 lead. But Clinton County had other plans for the afternoon. The Lady Bulldogs scored four straight of their own and it was “game on.” While the Lady Rebels would never trail in the set, they could never quite pull away from Clinton County. The lead was as many as six at 21-15. Leading 24-20, the Lady Rebels had four match points, but Clinton County fought through and tied it up at 24-24. Todd Central finally scored back-to-back points and took the set 26-24.
Clinton County took some of the late set momentum they add in the opening set and quickly took a 6-2 lead in the second. But the Lady Rebels found their footing and went on a 14-5 run to claim a 16-11 lead. The Lady Bulldogs battled back and tied the match at 17-17 and 20-20. But on this day, the Lady Rebels would not be denied. With a big “team” effort, Todd Central closed out the set and the match with a 25-22 win.
Lucy Chester, Lanie Bivins, and Lynnlee Jones were a powerful trio at the net, finishing with nine, eight, and six kills respectively. Addileigh Wofford continue to establish her position as one of the best setters in the 4th Region, ending up the title match with 20 assists.
Chester, Bivins, and Wofford were all named to the All Tournament Team.
The Lady Rebels now have some time to prepare for their first ever trip to the All A state volleyball tournament in Richmond. The state tournament is set for September 16 and 17.
