Later Two State Quarterfinal Results

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Attend the Top 250 Expo 12/1 in Wilder, KY! Use coupon code "GrahamExpo2024" at checkout for $10 off registration fee!</strong> Here's the&nbsp;link to the event page:&nbsp;<a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/1299/register/kentucky-top-250-expo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://events.prepdig.com/e/1299/register/kentucky-top-250-expo</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other areas of the state are making strides with more players involved in club volleyball among other things.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, the final day of the state tournament features two teams from each of the main volleyball hotbeds in the state. After the two Louisville teams won the first two quarterfinal games, two teams from northern Kentucky joined them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Scott 3, Paintsville 0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-18)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles pounded their way back into the state semifinals for the first time since 2014 with the solid win and will take on Mercy at 11 a.m. back at George Rogers Clark. They executed better recording 30 kills minus 15 errors on 97 attempts for a .155 hitting percentage and held the Tigers to .040 hitting percentage with 29 kills minus 25 errors on 101 attempts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Scott also served-received better tallying nine aces to four for Paintsville. Senior libero [player_tooltip player_id='477094' first='Elise' last='Manhardt'] led the Eagles with four aces to go with her usual team-high 11 digs and senior [player_tooltip player_id='477092' first='Brooklyn' last='Helm'] had two aces to go with 10 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='212393' first='Milyn' last='Minor'] may not have had her highest hitting percentage with Paintsville keying on her, but Minor did record eight kills to go with seven digs. [player_tooltip player_id='586599' first='Morgan' last='Justice'] actually led the Eagles with 10 kills with [player_tooltip player_id='586647' first='Jaeda' last='Menfee'] putting down all three sets to her to go with two blocks. Junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='500587' first='Ryann' last='Grigsby'] picked up 21 assists passing to different parts of the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Paintsville's kills leaders [player_tooltip player_id='269735' first='Olivia' last='Maynard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='253875' first='Kylie' last='Kinner'] hit double-digits for kills with 14 and 13, respectively to go with nine digs each. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='477088' first='Bailee' last='Porter'] had a nice game in assists with 24 and libero Jenna Ousley led the Tigers with 12 digs and Sarah Ward had eight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Paintsville graduates five seniors in Maynard, Ousley, Porter, Ward and Julia Veronneau. However, they can take solace knowing they helped the Tigers earn the first state tournament win in school history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notre Dame 3, Knott County Central 0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-10)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Knott County Central hung with the state power Pandas in the first part of the first game, but once Notre Dame started connecting down the net at the creases and the pins, they pulled away. Knott County Central, playing in the first-ever state quarterfinal appearance after winning the first region title in program history, could not match Notre Dame's size and quickness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pandas take on Assumption at 1:30 p.m. Saturday back at George Rogers Clark in a rematch of last year's state title game. Notre Dame won both meetings during the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Notre Dame (34-3) put up an astounding .505 hitting percentage with 55 kills on 93 attempts and just eight errors. Knott County Central (31-10) took 34 fewer spike attempts connecting on just 15 with 10 errors for a .085 hitting percentage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='312234' first='Audrey' last='Dyas'] led the way for the Pandas with 16 kills on a .750 hitting percentage and senior [player_tooltip player_id='210633' first='Ava' last='Tilden'] had 15 kills. [player_tooltip player_id='484250' first='Teagan' last='Kondik'] and [player_tooltip player_id='507601' first='Grace' last='Portwood'] followed with 10 and nine kills, respectively. [player_tooltip player_id='210634' first='Julia' last='Grace'] and [player_tooltip player_id='477121' first='Lacey' last='Hostetler'] set up setter [player_tooltip player_id='379687' first='Lizzy' last='Larkins'] well once again with good first passes and Larkins dished out 50 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two seniors saw action coming off injuries in [player_tooltip player_id='269766' first='Lauren' last='Ott'] and [player_tooltip player_id='159327' first='Riley' last='McCloskey']. McCloskey received clearance to play that morning. Ott said she's glad to play even if only for a few minutes because it is her senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Akasia Bentley had a nice game with eight digs for Knott County Central. No one had more than three kills for the Patriots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots graduate four seniors in Bentley, [player_tooltip player_id='172935' first='Faith' last='Pollard'], [player_tooltip player_id='159392' first='Ellie' last='Miller'] and [player_tooltip player_id='159310' first='Sydney' last='Stidham']. They helped Knott County Central to the first 14th Region Tournament championship and first state tournament win in school history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notable Performances</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["586599"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":718456,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672eb00961802"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Justice not only disrupted at the net, but ended up leading the Scott offensive attack in the win over Paintsville with 10 kills. She took great swings and helped the Eagles get out of a slump in the second game. Justice finished that game with a big kill. Justice said she does not believe she's ever led the Eagles in kills before. Justice said touches at the net help slow balls down and make it easier for defensive specialists to make first passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["500587"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":718458,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672eb00961866"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Grigsby does a great job recognizing defenses and placing balls where teammates can pound them into open spaces. Grigsby had more success setting middle this game. Grigsby had 21 assists in the win. Grigsby expressed gratitude the Eagles fought through adversity in that second game to regain the momentum.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["253875"],"_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"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672eb1619f933"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kinner's experience is paying off for the Tigers this year. Kinner is not only a fundamentally sound hitter for Paintsville using her size well, she's turned into a versatile six-rotation player. Kinner can deliver crisp first passes and constantly stays positive for the Tigers on the court. Kinner is also a solid basketball player for Paintsville. Kinner had 13 kills and nine assists in the loss for Paintsville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["312234"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":718772,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672f412d2e68b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dyas did a great job controlling the net, overpowering the Patriots with her size and quickness. Dyas hurt Knott County Central a number of places including the creases. Dyas also made things tough with the double blocks. Knott County Central had to hit over or around them giving the defensive specialists more time to make good first passes. Dyas said the team watched film and saw that Pollard was Knott County Central's best hitter so they to stay away from her. Dyas had a team-high 16 kills in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["379687"],"_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"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-672f42baeaf8f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Similar to many of her teammates, Larkins is playing in her third state tournament and that experience has helped make sure the lights do not turn on too bright on the court to calm the nerves. Larkins continues to place balls in great positions away from where defenders are set up for the dynamic Notre Dame hitters. Larkins had 50 assists in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->