Science Hill sweeps Tribe to claim Region 1-AAA title

JOHNSON CITY — Dobyns-Bennett's volleyball team brought the same fight that pushed Science Hill to the limit last week, but this time, the Lady Indians were missing a key cog in their lineup. With D-B's Madison Sykes looking on from the sidelines after suffering an injury on Monday night, the Lady Hilltoppers seized momentum by winning a tight first set, and they rode it to a 26-24, 25-16, 25-14 sweep in the Region 1-AAA championship match on Tuesday evening. Science Hill (40-4) will host a sectional contest on Thursday night while the Lady Indians (25-11) will hit the road with state tournament bids on the line for both teams. "I hate that," Science Hill coach Laura Cook said of Sykes' injury. "I've been there and I hate that for her. I hate that for a senior, and I hope she can come back." Despite missing a starting middle hitter, D-B took the fight to Science Hill in the early moments of Game 1. The Tribe led 9-5 before a service error opened the door for Science Hill, which reeled off nine straight points to take a 14-9 lead. At that point, the Lady 'Toppers seemed to tighten up a bit, committing three service errors and four hitting errors during the span when their 14-9 lead turned into a 21-19 deficit. "Everybody was as little tight, and we just settled in and started playing," Cook said. Science Hill got things dialed in thanks to a pair of kills by Clara McBride and two more by Bryleigh Scott that helped the Lady 'Toppers survive a set point. Claire Lamb sealed the deal for Science Hill with a service ace to close out the set. "It's all about playing clean in the last few points, especially when it's a two-point game," said Scott, who led Science Hill with 13 kills and three blocks. "You've got to play your game, and you have to play clean." From there, Science Hill took playing clean to another level, creating and converting on an avalanche of scoring opportunities. Lucy O'Daniel ran the offense to perfection, dishing out 34 assists to her talented group of hitters. "I was just trying to move around the hitters since they had a different middle," O'Daniel said. "I was just wanted to try to make her work more. "It is so fun, and my passers make it so easy to do everything. And the hitters, it's the best thing ever." Chloe Conner and McBride finished with 10 kills each while Lizzie Clark added seven kills. Isa Dau led the way with 14 digs for the Lady 'Toppers, pushing her career total to 1,120. She was honored after the game for picking up her 1,000th career dig last month. "I feel like it really shows how much work I put into these two seasons," Dau said. "I'm really happy I got 1,000 digs. It's kind of what I've been reaching for." Norah Shook led D-B with 17 kills and 18 digs. Jeslyn Harden contributed 10 kills and six digs while Reese Hatcher dished out 29 assists and came up wth nine digs. While the Lady Indians hit the road looking to punch their ticket to the state tournament, Science Hill will get to play at home. For Scott, a senior, the opportunity to play one more match at home is a dream come true. "It means a lot, especially being a senior this year," she said. "It really means a lot to play in our home gym one more time. It's really exciting for our team as well."