Bears hang on to win school’s first area championship
Published 9:31 pm Monday, October 17, 2016
Keith’s Erica Smiley and Choctaw County’s Raven Chaney reach for the ball during Monday’s game at Keith High School. The Bears won the match in five sets. –Daniel Evans
ORRVILLE — The Keith volleyball team made history on Monday, winning the school’s first area championship. The Bears did their part to make it suspenseful.
Keith won the first two sets over Choctaw County and appeared to be on its way to an easy victory. Choctaw had other plans, winning the next two sets and leading a fifth set 10-6 before the Bears stormed back to win the match and class 2A, area 6. Keith won 25-20, 27-25, 7-25, 15-25, 15-12.
“It is a great, great feeling. It is like you are starting your own legacy, starting something good at my alma mater,” said Keith coach Towanna Flennory.
“They are so known for basketball and somewhat football and to put volleyball on the map and to go out and represent Keith on a higher stage than just regular season, it’s a privilege.”
Keith jumped out to a comfortable lead in the first set and stayed in control the entire way. Calandria Carter and Kendra Jones scored the final two points of the set. Carter had a kill and Jones had an ace to put Keith up a game.
The second set was much more competitive. The Bears led 24-21, but Choctaw won the next three points to tie it up. The Bears finally closed it out when Choctaw couldn’t get return shots back over the net.
At that point, it looked like the match was all but over.
“I think my team got a little anxious and ready to win and not going over what Mrs. Flennory told us,” said Keith senior Alyshia Boone.
Flennory said the Bears got way too comfortable with such a big lead, and it showed on the court.
Choctaw easily won the third set 25-7 and won the last 10 points to pull away in the fourth set.
Down 9-4 in the fifth set, Keith dug deep to turn it around.
Senterrica Ellis each served aces and the Bears tied it when Tytiana Ruffin’s return shot went out of bounds for Choctaw.
Carter and Jones had kills to put Keith up 12-11. Jones added an ace and then Choctaw failed to get the ball back over a couple of times.
“We came back as a team, and we worked it out,” Jones said.
Keith will play Leroy Friday at 9:30 a.m. at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery in the South Super Regional.
