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The Parry McCluer High School volleyball team defeated Rockbridge County 3-1 in the season opener for both teams in Buena Vista on Tuesday evening.
The Fighting Blues overcame a second-set slump and held off a furious charge from the Wildcats in the fourth frame to record a 28-26, 11-25, 25-12, 25-23 victory, marking the first in-county rivalry win for PM over RC since 2016.
Kadence Zollman paced the Blues with nine kills, recording six of those across the third and fourth sets. Keely Mahaffey tallied five kills, four blocks, eight assists, six digs and a pair of service aces, while Natalie Mohler totaled nine assists, 11 digs and four aces. Allie Cullen led the PM defense with 17 digs, and Peira Conner registered four blocks and four aces.
Jada Hamilton posted 10 kills and 17 digs for the Wildcats, while Geneva Snyder finished with 10 kills, 12 digs and two aces. Maisen Mckemy racked up a match-high 23 assists, and Ava Crocker notched 19 digs, three kills, two blocks and three aces.
PM sprinted out of the gates to claim an early 9-2 advantage in the opener. RC gradually worked its way back in the set, taking a 21-20 lead on a kill from Snyder. The teams traded points into extras, but a Wildcat service error followed by a Mahaffey ace put the set in the Blues' column.
The 'Cats dominated the second frame, using a long service run from Crocker to key a 9-0 stretch that gave them an insurmountable 18-9 lead.
The Blues returned the favor in the third stanza, quickly erasing an early 6-2 deficit with an 8-1 run. Leading 16-11 later in the set, PM closed things out with a 9-1 spurt that culminated in back-to-back overpass kills from Zollman.
The fourth set appeared to be headed in the same direction, with the Blues putting together a 12-2 stretch -- featuring two kills apiece from Mahaffey and Cullen and two aces from both Mohler and Conner -- that put them in control at 21-12. But RC scrambled back into the frame, pulling within one (23-22) on a Snyder kill.
Yet PM held off the charge, and the match ended on one of the Wildcats' 19 service errors.
Emory Slagle chipped in six kills and three aces for the Blues, and Logan Vest recorded 13 digs. Mackenzie McCormick had seven kills for RC, while Rebekah Allen added 13 digs and Emmy Duff collected two blocks.
Both teams will hit the road on Thursday, as PM visits Roanoke Catholic and RC travels to Alleghany. Junior varsity action begins at 5:30 p.m. for each school.
