There is a reason that the Bowling Green Lady Purples finished the volleyball regular season ranked #1 in the state in terms of the RPI. Led by strong performances from freshman Amirra Bailey and senior Lily-Kate Carver, the Lady Purples ended the Todd County Central Lady Rebels’ season with a straight-set win in the quarterfinal round of the 4th Region tournament Tuesday night at South Warren High School.
The opening set of the match was a close battle early. Bowling Green then used a 4-0 run to turn a 6-5 lead into a 10-5 lead. The Lady Purples were able to keep at least a two-point lead from that point on in the set and went on to claim a 25-17 win to go up one set to none.
Service errors were costly for the Lady Rebels in the opening set. Todd County Central lost six points to Bowling Green on serve. Lucy Chester and Lanie Bivins paced the Lady Rebels with four kills each in the first set.
The Lady Rebels had trouble dealing with Amirra Bailey at the net. The big freshman had three kills for the Lady Purples and forced Todd Central to try and play around her at the net.
The second set was all about Lily-Kate Carver for Bowling Green. The senior took over a stretch of the second set with four kills out of seven points for the Lady Purples, turning a 3-3 tie into a 10-6 lead. Once Carver got things going in the set for Bowling Green, Amirra Bailey closed the set out strong, adding three kills of her own down the stretch, as Bowling Green pulled away to a 25-12 win to go up two sets to none.
Lucy Chester added two more kills in the set for Todd County Central.
Bailey, Carver, and sophomore Addie Kincheloe got Bowling Green started in the third set and helped move the Lady Purples out to a 12-8 lead. The Lady Rebels were fighting desperately to hold on and try to pull out the set, when the wheels came off for good. Bowling Green hit Todd Central with an 11-2 run to move the lead out to 23-10 as the Lady Rebels saw a historic season rapidly head toward a conclusion.
The Lady Purples would go on to win the set 25-11 to complete the sweep and advance on to the 4th Region semifinals.
Lucy Chester would finish the night with seven kills in her final high school match. Lanie Bivins added five more in her final match for the Lady Rebels.
As the match ended, tears flowed freely along the sideline, especially from the four seniors who had been such a big part of establishing the Lady Rebel program as one of the solid ones in the 4th Region, Lucy Chester, Lanie Bivins, Addileigh Wofford, and Emily Oden.
Over the past two seasons, the Lady Rebels won 46 matches, setting and then re-setting the record for most wins in a season. The Lady Rebels also reached the All A Classic state tournament this season.
The Lady Rebels see their season end at 24-12.
Bowling Green improves to 35-2 and advances on to the regional semifinals.
Following the match, Todd County Central’s Lucy Chester was named to the 4th Region All-Tournament team.
