Du Quoin eighth-grade Lady Warriors cap off season with fourth-place finish at State

Posted March 26, 2017 11:00 pm

Adam Iwans aiwans@duquoin.com

The Du Quoin eighth-grade Lady Warriors capped off an impressive season Saturday afternoon, finishing fourth at the SIJHSAA Class L state meet at Pinckneyville High School. The Lady Warriors opened up competition against Carriel-O'Fallon, defeating the Lady Cougars in three sets, 25-21, 22-25, 15-11. Du Quoin traded lead early with the Lady Cougars before jumping out to a 13-7 lead with a kill from Aubrey Barwick and hitting error from the O'Fallon. The Lady Warriors did not look back from there, extending their lead 24-15, before holding off a late rally to take the first set 25-21. The Lady Cougars responded in the second set, jumping out to an early 8-3 lead with an ace. Du Quoin chipped away at the lead, tying the game 19-19, helped by a pair of kills from Ayanna Dunklin. The teams traded ties two more times, but the Lady Cougars did not surrender the lead as they hung on fora 25-22 second-set win. Carriel-O'Fallon carried the momentum into the third and final set, taking a 7-1 lead early on, but the Lady Warriors came back strong. Lauren Heape capped off an 9-2 run with an ace to give Du Quoin its first lead of the set, 10-9. The Lady Cougars tied it up a 10, but could not regain the lead as the Lady Warriors closed out the set and match with a 5-1 run, with the match-winning kill coming from Lauren Heape. Du Quoin was unable to ride the momentum in the semifinal matchup against Massac County, falling in straight sets, 25-12, 26-24. The Lady Warriors failed to get much going in the first set, as Massac County jumped out to a 14-3 lead and rolled to a 25-12 first-set win. Du Quoin battled back in the second set, taking a 19-11 lead with a kill from Sophie Miller and ace from Dunklin. A kill from Delaynie Dearmond brought Du Quoin one point away from a second-set win, 24-20, but Massac County pulled off the comeback, scoring six straight points to win the set, 26-24 and match. With the loss, the Lady Warriors advanced to a third-place game with Fulton-O'Fallon. Despite a hard-fought effort, Du Quoin fell in two sets, 25-21, 25-21 capping off their season with a fourth-place finish at the state meet. Tournament stats Against Carriel-O'Fallon Aces: Dunklin 1; Harley Ransom 1; Lexi Cobin 1; Heape 1; Barwick 1 Kills: Dearmond 7; Dunklin 8, Heape 4; Barwick 7; Ella Hirsch 1 Assists: Miller 17 Against Massac County Aces: Dunklin 1; Cobin 2; Barwick 1 Kills: Dearmond 3; Heape 3; Dunklin 2; Cobin 1; Miller 1 Assists: Miller 4; Dearmond 1; Dunklin 2 Blocks: Dunklin 1; Heape 1 Against Fulton-O'Fallon Aces: Ransom 5; Barwick 4 Kills: Dearmond 7; Dunklin 3; Heape 1; Hirsch 1; Miller 1 Assists: Miller 7; Dunklin 2 Blocks: Heape 1

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