WCMS blows 2-0 lead to Cornerstone

The Warren County Middle School volleyball team snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory Thursday, after coming one game away from a home win.

Playing host to the Lady Bees from Baxter’s Cornerstone Middle School, the Lady Pioneers won the first two games of their varsity match 25-17 and 25-16, but lost the next three straight, 22-25, 19-25 and 15-7 to fall in the best-3-of-5 match.

“We got out-hustled,” said WCMS coach Farrah Griffith, whose team fell to 1-6 on the year. “(Cornerstone) looked a lot better than when we played them two weeks ago, they’ve really improved a lot. But we still should’ve been able to pull out the win.”

An onset of service and passing problems plagued the Lady Pioneers in the final three games of the match, despite being some of the team’s strengths in the opening two games.

In Game 1, the Lady Pioneers saw an early lead trimmed to a point at 13-12, but regrouped after a time-out and out-scored their guests 12-5 down the stretch.

Game 2 wasn’t quite as close, as WCMS rattled off six straight points behind Katie Wanamaker’s serve to go up 12-6, only to see Cornerstone battle its way back into the game.

With a 13-12 lead, however, Warren County put together an eight-point run, and three late kills from Miki Rogers put the Lady Pioneers on top two games to none.

In junior varsity action, Warren County lost a hard-fought two-game match, falling to the Lady Bees 21-25 and 20-25.

WCMS returns to action Tuesday, with a home match against Avery Trace.