Heroic Efforts in Arlington-Dunbar Kentucky Challenge Title Game

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Notes: Do you want to get in front of Prep Dig Scouts? This is one big way to do it. The annual Kentucky Exposure Tour in Wilder is Nov. 28. Click on this link to register: </em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2489/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://events.prepdig.com/e/2489/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-kentucky</a>.<em> For 25 percent off, type </em>ET26Mike25OFF<em> at checkout.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The title game of the annual Kentucky Challenge at the Alumni Center in south Lexington saw a semblance of a border clash as the Arlington Tigers and Paul Laurence Dunbar Bulldogs battled it out to the end. Arlington ultimately won the game 2-1 (23-25, 25-16, 15-11) with its athleticism led by the dynamic senior duo of outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='828834' first='Addison' last='Harris'] and setter [player_tooltip player_id='953503' first='Eman' last='Nuhic'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The duo had plenty of help. Senior libero Mary Hickey and junior defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='795354' first='Katelynn' last='Bridges'] made nice first touches so Nuhic could distribute balls to different hitters. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1045855' first='Zaria' last='Moss'], [player_tooltip player_id='806731' first='Megan' last='Parker'] along with juniors Gracy Posey, [player_tooltip player_id='958373' first='Lola' last='Benfield'] and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1018268' first='Ellee' last='Blackburn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='991992' first='Kaelyn' last='Brown'] delivered for the Tigers (26-3 overall) over the five games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dunbar (17-10) saw [player_tooltip player_id='535210' first='Mia' last='Pendley'] and [player_tooltip player_id='957840' first='Olivia' last='Belcher'] take more solid swings. The tall front line with [player_tooltip player_id='957839' first='Ellis' last='Stuart'], [player_tooltip player_id='727151' first='Noelle' last='Davis'] and Pendley gave the Tigers problems in the first set. Defensive specialists [player_tooltip player_id='774734' first='Zya' last='Richardson'], [player_tooltip player_id='484320' first='Peyton' last='Beatty'] and [player_tooltip player_id='851868' first='Sloane' last='Barnes'] made nice saves so [player_tooltip player_id='912835' first='Ava' last='Martha'] could set up the offense. These six players and more delivered heroic performances on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["828834"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab87a91094ca"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Harris is definitely not afraid of the big moments. She leaps above antennas to form a high attack point and mixes in great accuracy with a great wrist snap to terminate balls. Harris even takes those hard swings from the back row. Harris once again did a great job mixing in tips to keep defenses guessing. Harris said she's undersized for an outside hitter so she uses her vertical jump and court IQ to mix in different shots and make things difficult for opponents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1045855"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab87a9109509"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Moss brings value to the Tigers with her heavy hand and arm swing. Moss does a great job getting on top of balls and sending them screaming to the floor. Moss mixes in soft shots to the middle and makes quick reactions on defense. Moss is a solid blocker with her active hands. Moss said the hitters created so much space for each other that she was able to pull and slide to make things more difficult to figure out where balls were going.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["953503"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab87a910952c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">As the season has progressed, it seems like Nuhic adds something else to the arsenal. She already runs an efficient offense with her stellar decision making and involves a number of hitters and mixes in a deceptive setter dump if the seas part in the middle. Nuhic added in a back tap to the shallow side lines to surprise opponents throughout the two days. Nuhic said moving people around and incorporating her in different ways changes the speed and open things up for the hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["958373"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab87a910954c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Benfield gives the Tigers nice net play. She does a great job attacking lines and sends quicks to sidelines. Benfield finds different ways to terminate balls and forms nice double blocks with teammates. Benfield said getting hands on balls helps slow things down for the back row players and generate the dynamic offensive attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["957839"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab87eec6c397"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Stuart has come a long way learning how to influence things at the net for the Bulldogs. Stuart uses her off (left) hand to tip balls to the shallow zones and runs solid fakes to open things up for teammates. Stuart shoves balls to open side lines and forms solid double blocks with teammates. Stuart bounces back quickly from mistakes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["484320"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab8802104a27"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Beatty trails plays relentlessly and uses a great platform to form walls around balls to keep plays alive. Beatty defends lines well and makes nice out of system sets. Beatty continues to make the routine first contacts and has turned into a solid leader for Dunbar on and off the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Note from Writer</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mike Graham has been writing for Prep Dig for nearly three years and has enjoyed getting to know the volleyball scenes in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. If you liked the story, please copy and paste to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You may also follow us at @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigkentucky/#">prepdigkentucky</a>, @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigtennessee/#">prepdigtennessee</a>&nbsp;or @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigoh/#">prepdigoh</a>&nbsp;on Instagram in addition to @PrepDigKy, @PrepDigTN or @PrepDigOH on X. If you feel someone in Kentucky, Tennessee or Ohio needs coverage or even have feedback on the Kentucky or Tennessee rankings, please email Mike at michaelgraham@prepdig.com. You may also follow him on X @GMCgrah or Instagram @g.michaelgraham. Subscriptions give you access to exclusive content. For a 30% discount on yearly subscriptions, enter code graham30 at checkout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->