‘Above and beyond.’ West Jessamine knocks No. 3 Dunbar out of state volleyball tournament.
West Jessamine hadn’t beaten Paul Laurence Dunbar in high school volleyball in its last four tries, including last year’s state tournament and two regular season matches this year.
So, heading into Monday’s state tournament first-round match against the No. 3 Bulldogs on their home court, the No. 13 Colts were well versed on how Dunbar plays and well motivated to make that experience pay off.
“It only takes one game to win. We just needed that one,” said West Jessamine senior Riley Snowden, who capped a five-set thriller with a kill that sent the Colts to Friday’s KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament quarterfinals. “Instead of just competing, we really performed. And that’s all it takes.”
Snowden’s final swing ended a roller-coaster win-or-go-home match in front of a crowd that filled the West Jessamine gym’s one open side to the rafters. The Colts student section swarmed the team as soon as the final whistle sounded on its 3-2 victory with sets that went 21-25, 25-11, 25-15, 11-25 and 15-13.
“This means a lot. Especially as a senior. This is our last home game, and it just really means a lot,” Riley said. “Everyone really showed up for us, and we really appreciate that.”
The Colts (31-9), champions of the 12th Region, absorbed a 21-25 first-set loss before going on a dominant run over the next two sets, jumping to big leads early and winning both by double digits.
“They played outstanding. They played above and beyond,” West Jessamine coach Bill Bird said. “We kind of knew their tendencies, so we worked on it all week — covering and knowing where (Dunbar was) going. We were prepared.”
West Jessamine dug out a lot of balls that normally hit the floor for Dunbar, keeping points alive for their own hitters to have a chance.
“The first set, almost all of their points were on our errors,” Bird said. “I told them ‘just clean up, stay disciplined on defense and it’ll pay off.’ And that’s what they did.”
Down two sets to one, Dunbar (33-8), the 11th Region champion and last season’s state runner-up, responded with its own dominant run in the fourth set with a 25-11 win to set up the final frame.
But in the first-to-15-by-two fifth set, Dunbar fell behind in the middle stages as a service error, an attack error and a block by West Jessamine’s Rebekah Buckhholz turned a 7-6 Dunbar lead into a 9-7 advantage for the Colts.
Later, trailing 14-10 and facing four match points, Dunbar fought back to win three of them before Snowden put the game away.
“This is what the state tournament is about. You expect good volleyball and that’s exactly what tonight was,” Dunbar coach Jenni Morgan said. “West played amazing. They took it to us and got us out-of-system. We settled and played with them and got back into our game. And then it was just two points at the end.”
Next, West Jessamine will face Logan County in the state quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester. Among the other state quarterfinal competitors are No. 1 Notre Dame, the defending state champions, No. 2 Assumption, No. 15 McCracken County, No. 20 Mercy and No. 23 Boyd County. All rankings are according to the final Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association poll of the regular season.
State Volleyball Tournament
First round games hosted at various campus sites. Quarterfinals through finals to be held at George Rogers Clark High School, Winchester.
Monday’s first round
Assumption 3, Oldham County 0 (25-6, 25-14, 25-16)
Boyd County 3, Johnson Central 1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-18, 25-14)
Logan County 3, Meade County 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-18)
McCracken County 3, University Heights 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22)
Mercy 3, Central Hardin 2 (25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 15-8)
Notre Dame 3, Campbell County 0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-7)
West Jessamine 3, Paul Laurence Dunbar 2 (21-25, 25-11, 25-15, 11-25, 15-13)
Whitley County 3, Wolfe County 1 (27-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-20)
Friday’s quarterfinals
11 a.m.: Mercy (21-20) vs. Boyd County (33-6)
1:30 p.m.: Assumption (33-5) vs. Whitley County (35-2)
5 p.m.: McCracken County (27-11) vs. Notre Dame (31-5)
7:30 p.m.: Logan County (25-12) vs. West Jessamine (31-9)
Saturday’s semifinals
11 a.m.: Mercy-Boyd County winner vs. Assumption-Whitley County winner
1:30 p.m.: McCracken County-Notre Dame winner vs. Logan County-West Jessamine winner
Saturday’s finals
7:30 p.m. Championship game
This story was originally published October 31, 2023 at 7:47 AM.
