Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Har-Ber wins in five sets, claims 6A-West title
6A-WEST SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 3, FAYETTEVILLE 2
SPRINGDALE — Fayetteville scored the final three points of the fourth set to apparently grab some momentum in a marathon see-saw 6A-West Conference volleyball match, but Springdale Har-Ber took it right back.
The Lady Wildcats scored the first three points of the fifth set and hit the accelerator for the 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 2513, 23-25, 15-8) win to claim the regular-season conference title on Tuesday night at Wildcat Arena.
Har-Ber coach Cassie Loyd couldn’t be more pleased with her team’s focus and consistency in a match characterized by some long rallies.
The Lady Wildcats, who suffered their first loss of the season in a tournament in Ozark, Mo. over the weekend, showed their experience and celebrated 14 seniors by knocking off Fayetteville for the second time this season in five sets.
“We had been putting a lot of pressure on the girls to serve tough and serve in and also just minimizing our errors,” Loyd said. “Fayetteville is a good team and if you give them an opportunity by giving them free points on serves, they are going to take total advantage of that.
“We only had nine hitting errors all night, which is unheard of. So just the focus and consistency and Josie McCroskey just played unbelievable defense. Man, if we don’t have her in that back row and leading us defensively against their amazing attackers, we don’t win that match.”
Har-Ber looked as though it might end the match in four sets as it used a 5-0 flurry to take a 23-22 lead. But Fayetteville answered with three straight points to force a fifth.
But Loyd had a different viewpoints to be forced to a fifth set, after her team struggled to finish five-set matches a year ago.
“I think it was a total blessing that we got to play five sets tonight against Fayetteville,” Loyd said. “You get better by playing a tough team and I think we did get better tonight. I think the kids proceeded to know that they could do it in five.”
Kat Cooper, a 6-1 senior middle hitter, was outstanding with a match-high 21 kills and hit a sizzling .488 with just one error for Har-Ber (31-1, 14-0 6A-West). But she had plenty of help. Kyla Clubb had 19 kills and Jordan Benford added 12.
But the Lady Wildcats also brought the defense, finishing with 99 digs as a team. McCroskey led the way with a matchhigh 33 digs, but Caylan Koons added 17, while Lilly Sharp chipped in 15 digs and four aces. Maddux McCrackin was also in double-digits with 13.
Koons, a senior setter committed to Central Arkansas, dished out a match-high 52 assists to go with four kills and four blocks. Cooper, a San Diego State commit, also added four blocks.
Brooke Rockwell led Fayetteville (29-4, 12-2) with 22 kills, while Maddie LaFata added 10. Setter Kennedy Phelan registered a double-double with 47 assists and a team-high 20 digs. Ashley Ruff added 18 digs.