After a tough night Friday at the All A Classic, the University Heights Academy Lady Blazers had a bit better day on Saturday. The Lady Blazers picked up wins over Somerset Christian and Williamsburg before losing a tough three-set match to Bishop Brossart in the semifinals of the consolation bracket of the tournament.
The Lady Blazers had their struggles Friday night in losses to Bethlehem and Kentucky Country Day, losing both matches in straight sets. But you could quickly tell Saturday morning, things were going to be a little bit different.
The final pool play match Saturday morning found the Lady Blazers matched up against Somerset Christian. The Lady Cougars, led by Addison Cunnigan, who entered the weekend with more than 200 kills, and the Lady Blazers went back and forth in the opening set. The set was tied at 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17, before the Lady Cougars got just a little bit of breathing room with three straight points. Somerset would take the set 25-22. Chayse Gilliland and Evelyn Cotthoff had one of their best sets of the weekend for the Lady Blazers. Julia Thomas had five kills for UHA.
The Lady Blazers used an 8-0 run in the second set to blow open a close set. UHA would take the set 25-17 to even the match at one set apiece. The attack of Olivia Oakley and Julia Thomas caused all kinds of problems for Somerset Christian. Sarah Peebles was big at setting the table for her teammates as Thomas finished with seven kills and Oakley added three.
In the deciding third set, another run for the Lady Blazers would turn out to be the difference. Early on, the two teams were tied at 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 9. With UHA trailing 13-12, the Lady Blazers scored six straight points to take an 18-13 lead. That would be a lead UHA would not give up as the Lady Blazers closed out the match by winning the set 25-20. A pair of service aces from Sarah Peebles helped ignite the match-deciding run. Suzie Comperry and Julia Thomas were huge at the net for the Lady Blazers.
With pool play done with a 1-2 record, the Lady Blazers headed off to the consolation bracket as the #3 seed from their pool where they would face Williamsburg. This match was all Lady Blazers from the beginning. UHA opened the first set with a 5-1 run and was never seriously threatened from there. The Lady Blazers would win the set 25-17. Sarah Peebles and Chayse Gilliland had a big set for the Lady Blazers.
The second set was an even more dominating performance from UHA. The Lady Blazers took a big early lead and cruised to a 25-14 set win to claim the match two sets to none.
The win advanced the Lady Blazers to the semifinals of the consolation bracket, where they would face Bishop Brossart, who had defeated Todd County Central in three sets in the quarterfinals.
After a close start, Brossart took firm control of the set with a 9-0 run that transformed a 13-10 battle into a 22-10 runaway. The Lady Mustangs would go on to claim the set 25-12. Sophomore Corrine Blackburn, who is the Lady Mustangs’ kill leader, was more than a handful for the Lady Blazers in the opening set.
The second set of the match was an all-out battle to the end, with the Lady Blazers showing significant quantities of heart and character. The set was tied at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 in the early going. UHA looked to have a little breathing room as the Lady Blazers worked their way to a 16-13 lead. With the lead at 20-16, the Lady Mustangs outscored UHA 7-1 to go up 23-21 and push the Lady Blazers to the edge of the cliff. But the Lady Blazers would not go that easy as they found a way to get the set back, taking it 26-24 and evening the match up at one set each.
But the Lady Mustangs would not be deterred on this Saturday in Richmond. Bishop Brossart opened the final set with a 10-2 run to take control. The Lady Blazers were never able to get closer than four points the rest of the way as Brossart won the set 25-16 and the match two sets to one to end the Lady Blazers’ stay in the tournament. Julia Thomas and Claire Chewning had a big set for the Lady Blazers but Corrine Blackburn and her teammates were too much to overcome in the final set.
UHA does not get much time off coming out of the tournament. The Lady Blazers are scheduled to travel to Madisonville Tuesday night to take on the Lady Maroons.
