JOHN CURTIS - Daily Union Sports Editor
Shelbyville survived a Cumberland comeback from the dangerous 4-seeded Raiders in game 1, then had their own comeback in game 2 to claim the Shelbyville Moulton 8-3A Regional on Thursday night in straight games, 25-23, 25-18.
"Once again, this was a very hard fought match," said Ram 8th coach Brittany Pierce. "We started off well and jumped out to a big lead early, which helped us get the momentum from the beginning."
Brandy Smith drew first blood in the match with a kill for the first point. Kayla Brachbill then served back-to-back aces. The next Ram swing hit the tape and didn't clear. Courtney Wellbaum served and the Rams dug it, Smith swung, a dig brought it back over and hung up the Rams. But, Smith killed off the net for the next point, 4-2.
Julia Bolinger then came in to serve and delivered three straight ricochet aces. Cumberland hit out and had to call time, down 8-2.
Lindsey Eigsti and Brachbill both had digs on the next point, but the resulting kill missed. No matter, Morgan Voyles killed the next ball and gave Briana Ruff the ball. Ruff served and Morgan Lawrence tip stuffed the ball. Ruff served again and Lawrence killed off a block attempt. Voyles then served a ricochet ace, followed by a short ace for a 13-3 Ram lead.
Lawrence missed a kill, but then came right back with a scoring swing and a 2-hander off the net to make it 15-4 Rams. Ruff had two digs on the next point, but Kennedy May scored for Cumberland on an outside kill. A service error brought Sandra Williams in to serve for for the Rams. She couldn't get a run, because there was a bump to the hole that went uncovered, 17-6.
Autumn Wisely went to the line for the Raiders and started the Cumberland comeback. Smith had a strong swing but a block sent the ball back to a hole in the Ram defense. Eigsti had a good dig on the next ball, but the Ram swing missed. Wisley then served a deep ace, 15-9 Rams.
Cumberland had a bad hit, then a kill go out, but the Rams couldn't get the next point. Kierstan Russell went to serve for the Raiders and the Rams had a bad serve receive transition, 19-11. Jensen Cloe had a good dig, but no one backed her up and Cumberland scored again.
Russell then served an ace, 19-13. Shelby called time.
"We struggled on service receive at times," Coach Pierce said. "Therefore couldn't be aggressive at the net and take it to Cumberland. We needed to. This led to a few lapses late in game 1 and early in game 2."
A bad Ram pass cost a point, and it was followed by a kill attempt into a Raider block that came back and couldn't be dug, 19-15. The Raiders had gone on a 10-4 run, when they blew the next serve. Brachbill came to the line and the Raider return landed in the net, 21-15.
A long rally ensued with saves from Ruff and Cloe, but Cumberland killed off a tip, 21-16. Wellbaum came back to serve and kept the pressure on the Rams. Two Rams collided on the receive and then two more Rams collided on the dig attempt. Cloe dug another ball, but no one could cover. Raider middle hitter Taylor Flood, who was taller than the Rams' middle hitter, killed the ball deep, 22-19.
Cumberland tipped out, but then came right back for the kill, halting any Bolinger run at the Ram service line. Shelby had an overhead shut carry two inches long, then Ashton Dunn hammered a free ball to tie the score, 22-22. That's when Morgan Voyles came through for Shelby, powering a kill to the Raider middle.
Ruff came back to serve and delivered an ace just over the net on the outside side line bringing game point, 24-22. She tried going to the same spot again for the game, but just missed.
Leah Hutchison served for the Raiders and they got a what looked like a good bump, set, swing. But someone's foot crossed the line under the net, game point, 25-23.
After surviving game 1, the Rams were in the driver's seat. Cumberland had not played like a Ram killer and even if the Rams lost game 2, they still looked to be able to finish. But, that was before they almost slipped into mediocrity again. The difference was, that even though they fell behind, 9-0. their shoulders never slumped and their confidence stayed up.
The Rams started off with aservice error, barely, then missed a swing. Wellbaum got on a service run. Eigsti and Brachbill had digs on the next point, but Flood got the free ball stuff. A bad set gave up the next point. A gutsy overhead save attempt hit the rafters.
At 5-0, a lengthy rally went on, but Cumberland ended it with a quick tip to the middle. Wellbaum aced the sideline, then Dunn killed for the 8-0 lead, precipitating a Ram time-out.
Cumberland was displaying their ability to find ways to extend games and matches. It's what had given the #4-seed some late season wins, then past the #5 seed, then past the #1 seed to be in the position to try to upset Shelby.
Cumberland got the next point and led 9-0, when a service error gave the ball to Brachbill at the line, a big mistake.
Brachbill served a net ace, then she aced again, 9-3. After a long rally, that including Eigsti and Cloe digs and saves, the ball was dug on the Raider side and then allowed to hit the floor as two Raiders looked at each other. Smith then swung for the kill, it was blocked, but she tipped it back for the point, 9-5.
Brachbill served another ace between two players, then Cumberland had a bad pass. On the next serve, the ball came back to the net as a free ball and Smith tipped it, making it 9-8 and bringing a Cumberland time-out. After the pause, Cumberland missed a quick tip, then Brachill served another ace, completing the 10-0 run with a 1-point lead, 10-9.
After a near miss serve, Voyles responded with a kill to get the ball back. Bolinger served, but there was a net call, 11-11. Morgan Lawrence then stepped up and swung so hard she almost took the arm off the Raider blocker, 12-11. But, Cumberland got a kill to answer. Cumberland blew a shot at a free ball and they were beginning to show signs of a #4 seed that was cracking.
Lawrence dug a ball bear the net with her fist and it cleared, 14-12. Cumberland got a side-out, only to blow the serve. Smith tipped for a kill, but Cumberland got it back with a kill. The Rams then blocked a kill only to see the Raiders transition to a kill shot and tie the game, 15-15.
Another Raider service error delayed the Raiders taking the lead, for one play. Two bad Ram passes gave Cumberland the 17-16 lead. Smith answered with a deep kill shot for the tie, 17-17. Brachbill was back at the line and that was not good for Cumberland. She served and on the return, Ruff set a perfect ball for Smith, who buried it. Brachbill then served an ace, 19-17. Cumberland called time-out.
After the pow-wow, the Raiders didn't pow-wow on the court and let a ball drop after it was received. Brachbill then served an ace, 22-17. Cumberland missed a kill shot for a point, but the Rams dug a ball that went out, making it 22-18 Rams.
Voyles then dug a ball, Eigsti followed that with a dig and Smith finished the point with a tip for the kill. Bolinger came in to serve one last time. Her first offering buried itself in the tape, hung on the top of the net and fell over for the net ace, bringing match point. She served again and the receive went to the net. The Raider setter tried to dig it, but caught the net with her hand for the violation and the match, 25-18.
"It was a match of spurts, but Kayla Brachbill's and Julia Bolinger's serving really helped us out," Coach Pierce said. Brandy Smith made some great plays at the net, as well."
Brachbill was the regional title match MVP with 21 points and eight aces. She also co-led the team in mid-court defense with six digs. Bolinger didn't get a chance at long service runs, but she did served three consecutive aces in game 1 and closed out the match at the line. She also finished as a double-digit performer with ten points, four aces.
Smith was the chief net treat, swinging for seven kills, followed by Morgan Lawrence with four kills and the only official Ram block. Voyles had three kills and also got down for a team-2nd five digs. Lindsey Eigsti was the third Ram in double figures, dishing out a team-high ten assists in the 2-game set.
Jensen Cloe came off the bench to join Brachbill in leading the defense with six digs, while Briana Ruff stepped up in all aspects of her game, setting, defense and at the line. She had eight points and three aces.
"I am proud of where the team is right now. It was so much fun to win a regional on our home court with a great crowd behind us."
Shelbyville (16-5) will travel to the Casey 8-3A Sectional to play Newton Jasper County on Monday at 6 p.m. for a chance to advance to the state tournament. Newton Jasper County (2-seed) upset Robinson Nuttall (1-seed) in the Robinson Regional title match on Thursday, 17-25, 25-23, 25-22.
Shelbyville 8-3A Regional Final
Shelbyville Moulton def. Cumberland, 25-23, 25-18
Ram stats: Kayla Brachbill 21 points, 8 aces, 6 digs; Julia Bolinger 10 points, 4 aces; Lindsey Eigsti 3 points, 10 assists, 3 digs; Briana Ruff 8 points, 3 aces, 1 assist, 1 dig; Brandy Smith 7 kills, 1 dig; Morgan Lawrence 4 kills, 1 block, 4 digs; Morgan Voyles 5 points, 3 kills, 5 digs; Jensen Cloe 6 digs; Sandra Williams 3 points.
*Watch for web updates and the Daily Union print edition for the complete story, stats, and photos.
