The University Heights Academy Lady Blazers are headed back to Richmond and the All A Classic state volleyball tournament for the first time since 2018. The Lady Blazers advanced by getting past Crittenden County in a three-set battle in the regional title game Saturday afternoon in Marion.
Early on in the title match, it did not appear like the Lady Blazers would have to go the distance. UHA opened quick and jumped out to a 7-2 lead. With Claire Chewning getting on a service roll and Suzie Comperry and Julia Thomas wreaking havoc at the net, the lead grew to 22-11. The Lady Blazers would end up taking the opening set 25-19.
Thomas and Comperry had three kills each in the set, while Chewning added a pair of service aces.
The second set was a tooth and nail battle all the way through. Neither team would lead by more than three points at any point in the set. Coming down to the end, the match would be tied at 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, and 24 before Crittenden County pulled out the final two points to take a 26-24 win and even the match at one set apiece. The Lady Rockets had some big plays from Carly Porter, Riley Smith, and Brooke Winstead to help secure the set win.
The championship set started out much like the entire second set played out, with neither team able to get control of the set early. Then, in the blink of an eye, the Lady Blazers blitzed Crittenden County with a run to end the match that may have left the Lady Rockets looking for the train that just came barreling down the tracks.
With Olivia Oakley’s serve and Suzie Comperry and Claire Chewning on the attack, UHA closed out the set, the match and the regional title with a ferocious 7-0 run that took the Lady Blazers from up 8-6 to All A regional champions. Oakley had four service aces during that stretch, including the ace that ended the match and sent the Lady Blazers to Richmond.
UHA will play in the All A state tournament September 16 and 17. They will open in pool play with the champions of regions 5, 7, and 12.
Earlier in the day, as things got started at Rocket Arena, the first match of the day was almost over as quick as it began. UHA overpowered its way past Livingston Central in straight sets 25-7, 25-7.
The Lady Blazers scored the first five points of the opening set and never looked back. UHA scored the final ten points of the match on a big service run from Evelyn Cotthoff, who had four service aces over the final ten points. The Lady Blazers had a balanced effort in the set, getting solid play from Suzie Comperry, Julia Thomas, Claire Chewning, Olivia Oakley, and Sarah Peebles.
The second set was more of the same as Livingston Central had no way to deal with the Lady Blazers attack at the net. This time, UHA would score the first seven points and roll to the 25-7 win to close out the match. Julia Thomas had five kills in the set, including a block-kill to end it. Sarah Peebles, in addition to setting the table for her team, finished the set with three aces.
UHA was right back on the court in the second match of the day, taking on Fort Campbell in the first regional semifinal. The two teams had just played on Thursday night with the Lady Blazers rolling to the straight set sweep.
Not much was different Saturday afternoon, as the Lady Blazers advanced with a two set win over the Lady Falcons.
The opening set saw Fort Campbell push UHA early. The Lady Blazers were leading 8-7 when the “C Crew” ignited a run. Behind the play of Suzie Comperry, Claire Chewning, and Evelyn Cotthoff, the Lady Blazers ran the lead out to 17-9 and then cruised on out to claim the set 25-15. Chewning would end the set with three kills. Marlie Fanning and Abby Roby did their best to keep the Lady Falcons in the set.
The second set was much like the first. With Anika Weisbrich leading the charge, the Lady Falcons took an early 6-4 lead. Then, with the match tied at 7-7, UHA scored seven straight, six of those with Olivia Oakley at the serve. Oakley had three aces during the run. From there, the Lady Blazers just overwhelmed the Lady Falcons with the play of Julia Thomas, Suzie Comperry, Sarah Peebles, and Claire Chewning. Chewning and Peebles combined for five aces coming down the stretch of the set, while Comperry had three kills. The Lady Blazers would close out the set and the match with a 25-10 win.
The win placed the Lady Blazers in the regional championship game where they would face the winner of the match between Heritage Christian and Crittenden County, who took to the courts in the third match of the day.
For the HCA Lady Warriors, it was their first-ever appearance in the All-A Classic. They were eligible in 2021 but elected not to play in the tournament.
The first set of the match between the Lady Rockets and the Lady Warriors was back-and-forth early in the set. There were four lead changes in the first half of the set. Crittenden County finally took the lead for good with an 8-3 run that gave them an 18-12 lead. The Lady Rockets would go on to take the first set 25-18. Mya Goodwin did her best to keep the Lady Warriors in the set, finishing with four kills.
The Lady Warriors had difficulty dealing with the net attack from Crittenden County’s Sofie Watson, Riley Smith, and Katie Perryman in the opening set.
The second looked initially like it would be all Lady Warriors. An early three-point run of a kill and two service aces from Elle Heltsley sparked a run from HCA that would see the Lady Warriors take a 20-13 lead. But the Crittenden County net attack that had been so effective in the opening set came roaring back as the Lady Rockets would rally to take the set 26-24 and close out the match two sets to none and advance to the regional final.
Heltsley finished the second set with four kills and three service aces, but it was not enough to hold off Crittenden County in the end.
