Heading into Thursday, the Lady Stars had to win three matches in the same day to play for a chance at a state title during the 2011 TSSAA State Volleyball Tournament at Blackman.
However, the season ended for the Siegel girls’ volleyball in its second match of the day, when the Lady Stars fell to Soddy-Daisy in a hard fought four-game loss (13-25, 25-22, 13-25, 21-25).
After the loss both the players and the coaches came out of the post match meeting in tears. At the same time, they knew they had a great season.
“It was definitely the best season ever,” Siegel senior Maggie Smith said, while trying to hold back tears. “I felt we left everything on the court, and it was amazing.”
She finished the match with 13 kills, while sophomore Carlton Gay added 10. Another senior on the team, Caroline Gay, scored 36 assists. The emotional leader of the team, fellow senior Becca Cutter had 31 digs.
Siegel finished the season with a fourth place finish in the Class AAA state tournament and a record of 26-16.
Its first opponent was Farragut in the loser’s bracket that morning. About two hours later, Siegel won a thrilling five-set match to keep its dream alive for the time being (23-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-20, 15-13).
In the first game, the Lady Stars held tough with the Lady Admirals, thanks to several kills during the game by Smith.
Farragut pulled out a two-point win.
Now, the Lady Stars were in a position that they had to come from behind in order to stay in the state tournament.
The second game was also a great back-and-forth effort by both teams, and long runs by each team. Down 8-5, the Lady Stars had several digs to keep the point alive including a diving one-hand dig by the vocal leader of the team, Cutter. Smith put the ball away. The Lady Stars finished the game 26-24 after a Farragut hitting error.
In the third game, the Lady Admirals took control early on, but the Lady Stars made several attempts to stay in it. It was not enough however, and Siegel was one game loss away from having its season ended.
Siegel did save its season, because of contributions from several players including freshman Tori Simmons and Amanda Worrell that went along with the usual points scored by Smith and Caroline Gay. The Lady Stars took the lead at 8-7 and never looked back to a game four win.
The fifth game went to only 15, while the first four went to 25 points. Just like the first four it went down to the wire.
The Lady Stars were down 13-12, and a timeout was called with the season on the line.
“I told the team you have got to win the next point, and we had to put the ball away,” Mullins said.
Cutter tied the game by putting away a surprise kill when the Lady Admirals left the middle wide open. Smith ended the match with two consecutive kills that saved Siegel’s season. She finished with 32 kills.
Carlton Gay added 17 and 15 digs. Her sister, Caroline had 63 assists. Cutter scored 31 digs.
“That showed the heart and sole of this program.” Mullins said of the incredible finish to the match.
Siegel started off the 2011 TSSAA State Tournament with a four-set victory over Collierville (25-16, 25-19, 20-25, 25-15) last Wednesday afternoon at MTSU’s Murphy Center.
After two tough wins in the first couple of games, Collierville used a 7-0 run in the third game and pulled away to stay in the match.
In between the games, Siegel head coach Ann Mullins spoke to the Lady Stars and they responded in the fourth and clinching game, which included a 6-1 run that, broke an 11-11 tie. During the run, freshman Tori Simmons had an ace, and senior Maggie Smith scored one of her 13 kills in that stretch.
“I told they had to stop worrying about what they did in Game 1 and 2,” Mullins said after the win.
One of the keys to victory in that fourth game was the way the Lady Stars limited the production of Collierville’s sister duo of Allison and Hailey Kerr, both who which scored several kills down the middle of the court in the previous game.
“I think we were serving a lot better, and shutting down the middle,” Mullins said.
In the win, sophomore Carlton Gay had 20 kills, while her sister Caroline had 42 assists. Senior Becca Cutter added 19 digs.
However, this tournament is double elimination, and in the second game of the day the Lady Stars fell to Independence in four sets (24-26, 25-21, 9-25, 16-25).
In the loss, Cutter had 27 digs; Smith added 19 kills and Caroline Gay had 37 assists. |
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