By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Frankfort Volleyball opened its season staving off a rally and shook away some rust as the Falcons’ talons ripped open the Hive
in a five-set match victory over the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday in Moorefield: 25-18, 26-28, 25-22, 28-30 and 18-16.
Moorefield JV Volleyball won in three sets over the Falcons to commence the evening: 25-13, 24-26 and 25-11 under the
leadership of assistant coach Kellan Snyder.
“We were just really excited to play a game. It has been a long couple of weeks with lots of practice. We knew that, historically,
Moorefield is always scrappy and always have some dominant hitters. We knew coming in it would be a tough game and we
would have to work our butts off. I thought the momentum here in the gym was nice and it was pretty intense,” Frankfort
Volleyball coach Brooke Alkire-Higson stated.
“Honestly, I feel like we are tired and they were able to execute [fourth set]. We had to dig deep to be able to come back. I was
the most proud of kids that at no point did they look defeated or act defeated. They kind of regrouped themselves and pushed
through. I am proud of their confidence this early in the season. We didn’t give up and we worked as a team all the way
through.”
Starting off the varsity match, Moorefield’s Sterling Kump slammed down a spike.
The serve by Marissa Ward landed in the net and tied the set.
Frankfort’s Jaci Rowe served and the ball was scooped up on a dig by Moorefield’s Kaleigh Hunt and the attack by Kump sailed
awry.
Kump created a push style kill moments later and Amber Williams stepped up to serve.
Frankfort’s Reagan Dyson made a couple of digs, while Ward covered the floor with a dig for the Yellow Jackets.
An attack by Moorefield’s McKenna Crites went out of play, then Frankfort went up 5-2 on an ace by Arin Lease and a dink by
Chloe Kauffman.
Kump garnered a kill and collected a service point on a return out of bounds to close the gap to 5-4.
Frankfort’s Taylor Mandell launched an attack and it was met on a dig by Hunt, but the ricochet found the net.
Avery Noel landed a spike for the Falcons, but Moorefield responded with the same by Kump.
A serve went awry for Crites, then an attack by Ward was thwarted by Mandell for a 9-5 edge.
Frankfort went up 10-6 on a kill by Mandell, but the ensuing serve went into the net.
Moorefield’s Sarah Iman delivered two consecutive aces to cut the deficit to 10-9.
After a service error, Ward collected a point off a kill.
Lease blocked a volley by Kump and the dig save by Crites was swallowed by the net.
Moorefield’s CiCi Kump and Amber Williams made digs, then Kump saved a block with a dig.
Williams notched a spike to make it 12-11.
Hunt recorded a point from the back row as the libero, then an attack by Peyton Mandell was returned into the net.
Iman spiked the ball and CiCi Kump created a service point to tie the set at 16-all.
Lease sandwiched two kills around a spike by Iman.
Frankfort got two big blocks down the stretch by Kauffman and Lease for a 25-18 first set win.
“I definitely expected it to be that intense. I made this schedule this season for that purpose. I wanted to play tough teams so
that my girls will be prepared. I’m so proud if the heart and effort my girls put into last night’s match. Both teams played with
heart and hustle. It’s just unfortunate there had to be a winner and a loser,” Moorefield Volleyball coach Krista Ritchie noted.
Frankfort took an early 2-0 lead in the second set on attacks by Lease, then the Yellow Jackets responded with kills by Sterling
Kump (twice) and Amber Williams to gain a 3-2 edge.
Ward added to that advantage by delivering an ace.
A Moorefield error and an attack by Kauffman would tie the set.
The Falcons served out of bounds, then Crites slammed the ball for a 6-4 lead.
Another error and a kill by Taylor Mandell locked up the set again.
Lease served a pair of aces and another serve was redirected to the ceiling and back down despite a diving save attempt near
the bench by Kump to bolster an 11-6 edge.
A block by Mandell put Frankfort up 13-6, then Moorefield started a rally.
Kump and Iman created attack points, then Crites hammered three spikes to close the gap to 13-12.
There was a carrying violation on the Yellow Jackets off an attack by Mandell.
Iman notched a kill, then another volley was blocked by Mandell.
Frankfort’s Braylon McKenzie served into the net, then Moorefield’s CiCi Kump collected a service point to knot the set at 15-all.
Hunt made two quick digs for the Yellow Jackets.
Frankfort’s Jaci Rowe garnered a kill for a 17-16 lead, but Moorefield answered with an attack by Sterling Kump returned into
the net.
Ward’s serve was not corralled to give Moorefield the lead 18-17.
The Yellow Jackets grabbed a 22-18 lead as CiCi Kump made a couple solid attacks.
Frankfort returned fire with kills by Mandell and Lease, plus an ace by Lease.
The Falcons would take the lead 23-22 on a service point by Lease as two digs by Hunt and CiCi Kump couldn’t clear the net.
Moorefield’s Sterling Kump tied the set on a spike and Iman provided the lead on an attack sent back into the net.
Mandell blocked Iman, but Iman would counter with a spike moments later for a 25-24 edge.
Mandell made another block, but Ward responded with a kill.
Mandell landed a spike, then a serve went awry.
Moorefield won the second set 28-26 as Ward’s volley was blocked into the net.
The Yellow Jackets started the third set with a 6-1 advantage beginning with an ace served by Ward.
There were service errors on both sides, then Crites fired a volley and it was redirected into the net.
Ward made a dig and Sterling Kump found the floor for a point.
Kump notched another point on an attack and Amber Williams garnered a service point on a return into into the net for the 6-1
score.
Frankfort rallied with kills by Rowe and Mandell, plus aces by Lease to cut the deficit to 6-5.
Iman launched an attack and it was blocked out of play as Moorefield kept the lead 9-7.
Rowe created a couple of points and Noel served an ace to give the Falcons an 11-10 edge.
The ensuing serve went out of play, then an attack by Lease created a point as digs by Hunt and CiCi Kump couldn’t corral the
ball.
Lease spiked the ball for a 13-12 lead, but Moorefield answered with a kill from Sterling Kump.
Frankfort went up 18-16 on a push point by Lease and Moorefield head coach Krista Ritchie was visibly frustrated putting her
head in her hands.
The Yellow Jackets lifted her spirits as Ward slammed the ball and Iman served up an ace to tie the set.
The Falcons swooped back ahead on two blocks by Lease and a spike by Rowe.
Williams notched a point after a timeout, then Lease’s attack was blocked by Crites and digs from Kump and Crites failed to get
the ball back over the net.
Williams served an ace and Kump blocked a volley as the Yellow Jackets closed the gap to 24-22, but Frankfort closed out the
third set 25-22 on a kill from McKenzie.
The fourth set was a marathon with the Yellow Jackets coming out on top 30-28 to force a tiebreaker fifth set.
There were at least a dozen ties in the fourth set alone.
Moorefield’s biggest lead was just three points starting off 3-nil and again at 18-15 which saw a pair of aces by McKenna Crites.
Sterling Kump sandwiched two spikes around a block by Mandell to give the Yellow Jackets a 24-23 edge.
Mandell blocked a volley and an attack from Rowe was returned out as the Falcons went ahead.
Iman pushed the ball through a block for a point but Mandel would record a block on Iman moments later.
An opening was found by Iman for a spike then a serve by CiCi Kump was redirected into the net giving Moorefield a 27-26
edge.
Mandell and Rowe sandwiched spikes around a kill by Iman to make it 28-all.
Sterling Kump landed a spike and a serve by Crites was returned awry to give the Yellow Jackets the 30-28 win in the fourth set.
It was an intense battle in the final set with nine ties, despite an early 3-0 jump by Moorefield.
Moorefield’s Teia Ray served to start the fifth set, then Williams and Sterling Kump made blocks.
Kump slammed the ball for a kill and the 3-nil edge.
Frankfort’s Peyton Mandell and Braylon McKenzie recorded points on attacks.
Kump added another kill, then made a diving save along the bleachers before the Yellow Jackets touched the net.
Kump and Iman garnered spikes for a 6-5 lead.
Leaping forward, Frankfort took a 13-9 lead on serve points by Noel and kills from Lease and Kauffman.
Noel served into the net, then Ray served for the Yellow Jackets and Sterling Kump created a spike.
Ray served up two more points tying the set as the Falcons failed to make a return.
Rowe launched an attack and a dig by Kump wasn’t enough to get the ball back over the net.
Frankfort hit the net, then a serve by Moorefield’s Amber Williams was redirected into the net for a 15-14 edge.
Kauffman blocked a volley to even the set at 15-alll.
Lease and Kump traded attack points.
Iman and CiCi Kump made saves, but the latter was deemed a carry.
Frankfort finished off the match with a block by Taylor Mandell, 18-16 (3-2).
The Yellow Jackets face off against East Hardy tomorrow night.