Highway 68 neighbors and district foes Marshall County and Christian Fellowship met for their second regular season match on Thursday at CFS. The Lady Marshals won the first match back in August 3-0 but met a different Lady Eagles team fired up after their KCAC Tournament championship last weekend.
CFS took the first two games in the 5-set thriller and the Lady Marshals took the second two to tie the match up and send it into the fifth set tiebreaker. The Lady Marshals momentum carried them through to a fifth set win to take the match 3-2 (21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-7).
The first set was a sign of what was to come, with 11 ties and numerous lead changes. After the eighth tie of the match at 11-11, the Lady Marshals edged out a slight lead at 14-11 and took the largest lead of the set at 17-13. The Lady Eagles scored the next five straight points to take an 18-17 lead. A kill from Abby Belcher put the Lady Marshals back up 19-18. A kill from Ava Phillips put CFS up 23-21 and they went on to take set one 25-21.
CFS led set two until Sarah Bremmerkamp’s serving gave the Lady Marshals an 8-6 lead. CFS stretched out a 12-8 lead behind kills from Gracie Howard, Phillips and Faith DeMerchant. They held onto their slight lead and finished out set two 25-22 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third set, Bremmerkamp found open floor with a tip that put the Lady Marshals up 9-5 in a set that was filled with lengthy volleys. They took their largest lead of the set at 16-11 before the Lady Eagles closed the gap to two points five different times but unable to hold off the set three 25-21 win for the Lady Marshals.
With the exception of two ties, CFS held the lead in the fourth set until at 17-17 a kill by Belcher gave the Lady Marshals their first lead. Four more ties later, a kill by Olivia Hawkins put the Lady Marshals up 22-21 and they won the set 25-21 to tie the match at 2-2.
A kill from Bremmerkamp tied the fifth tiebreaker set at 3-3 and from there, the Lady Marshals rode their momentum to take the set 15-7 and the match.
Hawkins led the Lady Marshals in kills with 13, Bremmerkamp had 11 and Belcher with seven. Maleah Terry had 21 digs and Ayla Holt finished with 27 assists. Howard led CFS in kills with six.
The Lady Marshals are 5-6 and 3-1 in district play. The Lady Eagles have a record of 9-8 and 3-2 in district games.
Marshall County vs. Christian Fellowship, 9-21-23
