Lady Wildcats clinch district title
The 13th Ranked Oak Ridge Lady Wildcat Volleyball Team celebrated Senior Night by clinching their District with a sweep of Halls (3-0).
Oak Ridge won by scores of 25-17, 25-22, and 24-13.
“It was a wonderful night all around,” said Dave Kolodney, head coach of the Lady Wildcats.
“We had a great crowd and it was so meaningful to our seniors to have so many people come out to support them.” The Lady Wildcats honored their five seniors: Reagan Dickens, Emily Lawless, J.J. Valencia, Rachel Clement, and Olivia Milloway.
“All five of them played wonderfully and it was great to watch them all out on the court together,” continued Kolodney. “It’s always good to win but it's even better to get the win on senior night especially when it clinched our undefeated record as district champions.”
The ‘Cats closed out regular season District play at 6-0, staking sole claim to the regular season championship, and earning a first round bye in the District Tournament being held at Oak Ridge High School on Oct. 3.
“And now as tempting as it is to look to the playoffs we need to focus one game at a time because we have three tough match-ups over the next week and a half,” explained Kolodney.
Oak Ridge will face region foe Farragut on Sept. 28 on the road.
“But we worry about that tomorrow. Tonight is a night to celebrate as a team and especially to recognize our five seniors who mean so much to us.”
Milloway finished with six points (one ace), 13 kills, two blocks, seven digs, and one assist.
Lawless finished with two kills, two digs, and 25 assists.
Ainsley Patrick had 13 points (five aces) and five kills.
Piper Halcrow had nine points (one ace), six kills, one block, and five digs.
The team’s 14-game win streak came to an end Wednesday night as they lost to third ranked Hardin Valley Academy in straight sets.
“I’m proud of the effort my girls put forth tonight,” said Kolodney. “We went up against a very strong HVA Team and didn’t back down. You don’t get to be third in the State for no reason and Hardin Valley deserves it. While that can sometimes intimidate a team, our girls didn’t let it bother them.”
The Lady ‘Cats made some good runs in each set and improved the score from set to set.
“We’re ramping up our run through the playoffs and this was a great match to get that started,” finished Kolodney. The Lady Wildcats dropped to 21-5 (6-0 District) from this non-conference match-up, and face two more non-conference foes prior to the District Tournament on Oct. 3.
