Jonesboro pulls off repeat win, downs Greenwood in semis

One could not have framed the match any better unless, like the last two meetings of Greenwood and Jonesboro in the state tournament, it were the state final.

After having lost just four sets going into Thursday’s semifinal against Greenwood (17-3), Jonesboro (23-0) needed a full five to break the annual back-andforth that would have left the Lady Bulldogs with the win if the trend continued. With the teams trading wins in the six previous meetings dating back to 2012, the Lady Hurricane used a big fifth set to secure a

3-2 win.

Greenwood, after winning the fourth set 25-16, jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but Jonesboro responded with four straight behind the service of junior Rosalind Lutes to take a 6-3 lead. The Lady Bulldogs pulled within 12-8 before losing service a final time with junior Maggie Orr serving up the final two points to send the Lady Hurricane to their second-straight Class

5A state championship game.

“What the consistency they’ve had on their side of the state and what they’ve done for our classification for volleyball is tremendous, and for us to be in there with them, ultimately, it’s only fitting that we have a match that goes back and forth like that,” said Jonesboro head coach Craig Cummings. “There was a lot of clean rallies, but there was a lot of the crazy stuff — the ball bouncing around like a pinball, and you know someone’s finding a way to still keep it in play and that goes to the heart for, I think, both teams.”

Greenwood head coach Jennifer Golden was proud of the way her team continued to battle throughout.

“It’s hard to put into words a season like that, and then, you know, you just fight and you battle so hard and it just doesn’t fall your way,” she said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my girls and the way they played and just kept at it. I think, you know, any day it could have been either one of us. Jonesboro, today was their day.”

Jonesboro got off to a strong start with a 6-2 lead in the opening set en route to a 25-17 win, but Greenwood responded with a 5-0 run to open the second behind the service of junior setter Anna Johnson. The Lady Bulldogs did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the set with Jonesboro pulling within 9-6 before Greenwood secured a 25-20 win to even the match.

Greenwood carried its momentum into the third set, taking a 5-1 lead before Jonesboro recovered behind the service of senior Kellen

Church and senior Clara Parker to take a 16-10 lead with libero Kate Gschwend pushing the lead out to 21-11. Greenwood broke service twice, failing to serve up a point, as Jonesboro took the 25-13 win.

Greenwood took an early 2-0 lead before Jonesboro powered out to an 8-4 buffer. Senior libero Izzy Davis served up four for a 1413 lead with junior Jocelyn Sewell adding three for an 18-14 spread before junior Larkin Luke put the set away with five straight to force the fifth set.

Parker led the Lady Hurricane with 18 kills, 16 digs and two blocks with classmate Mikayla Johnson adding 14 kills, eight blocks and seven digs. Church put up

44 assists along with 13 digs, and Gschwend added 19 digs.

“But we needed help all across the board because of little tidbits,” Cummings said. “Clara and Mikayla, of course, have been leading us for the last four years, but you know we needed help. Taylor Abernathy, who’s just a workhorse in the middle, obviously she had to do a nice job of sealing the block. Mollie [McCoy], who’s just a sophomore, she’s been in and out.

“Maggie Beth Horn has had two great matches coming into this, leading us in kills in both, and today she was challenged again by a great Greenwood team, and she had to come up with some kills, too. But I get my I have to give my hats off to Kate, our libero, who’s just peeling herself off the floor, for her effort.”

Greenwood senior Camryn Presley dominated the game with 13 kills, 18 assists, 18 digs and three blocks, and junior setter Anna Johnson added 17 assists with 17 digs. Hannah Watkins added 10 kills with four blocks, and Davis secured the back with over 40 digs.

“It’s a great rival,” Golden said of facing off against Jonesboro for the seventh time since 2012. “I enjoy playing coach Cummings. He does a great job with this team. And, you know, we just come out, we compete, and you just can’t ask for better volleyball than that.”