UHA Wins First ‘Battle of the Academies’

In the first battle of the current academies in Hopkinsville, University Heights dispatched Heritage Christian in four sets in a matchup of future district volleyball opponents Tuesday.

Next season, Heritage Christian becomes a full member of the KHSAA and will join the 8th District that already includes UHA and Fort Campbell. Hopkinsville High and Christian County High are expected to combine into the new Hopkinsville-Christian County Academy at some point.

But on Tuesday, UHA was the top academy on the volleyball court.

Heritage Christian Academy took the first set 25-23, but the Lady Blazers claimed the final three 25-10, 25-19, and 25-20.

HCA led most of the first set, jumping out to a 14-9 advantage. UHA came back to tie it at 20, 21, and 22. A UHA serving error gave the Lady Warriors a 23-22 lead, and Mya Goodwin closed out the set with a perfectly placed shot in the back left corner for the 25-23 win.

Heritage Christian Academy did a good job of making UHA play shots from the back and neutralized their net game in the opening set.

It did not translate to the rest of the match.

The Lady Blazers settled down and fed their middle hitter Julia Thomas. The junior finished with 23 kills — 21 in the final three sets. After Evelyn Cotthoff got UHA out to a fast start with three consecutive aces, Thomas tallied three kills in a four-point stretch that sealed the set victory.

The third set was a back-and-forth affair with 12 ties and four lead changes. Tied at 18, Thomas had three kills in another four-point run to push the Lady Blazer lead to 22-19 and the eventual set win at 25-19.

Up 2-1, UHA saw Olivia Oakley and Suzie Comperry combine for five kills and aces to push out to a 16-7 lead. Heritage fell behind 24-13 and faced match point. But Goodwin and Cora Hale combined for six points, two coming on aces by Hale. They cut the deficit to 24-20 but Claire Chewning put the match away with the final point.

Oakley had 11 kills and 12 digs, while Chewning and Comperry each had six kills. Cotthoff had 16 digs and a team-high four aces, and Sarah Peebles had 48 assists for the Lady Blazers who improved its season record to 6-2.

Elle Heltsley had nine kills for HCA and saw time at the setter spot in place of Bailey Craft, who missed the contest due to being ill. Heltsley also had six assists. Goodwin had six kills and nine assists. Hale had 14 digs, and Macy Lake added 10. HCA dropped to 7-2 and suffered its first loss to a KHSAA opponent in three outings.

The teams could meet again Saturday in the All A Classic Region Tournament at Crittenden County although they will begin on opposite sides of the bracket.

Before then, HCA will play at Hopkinsville Thursday and at KCAA rival Oak Ridge Friday. UHA has a home district contest with Fort Campbell Thursday.