Avery volleyball had a good idea about what Watauga volleyball was capable of after last Saturday's tri-match in Boone.Knowing and stopping were two different things, though, as Watauga was impressive in a junior varsity and varsity victory over the Big Red in Viking Gym Tuesday night.
In JV action, the Lady Pioneers defeated the Avery JV club in two games by final scores of 25-17 and 25-13. The Lady Vikings varsity team fared no better in the early going of the match, as Watauga used its athleticism and size to run out to an early eight-point advantage. Behind the serve of Avery senior right side hitter Brittney Hagie, the Vikings cut the deficit to as little as five points at 16-11. A 9-3 run to close the game, however, gave the Lady Pioneers a 25-14 win in game one.
The second game quickly saw Watauga gain advantage, racing to a 12-5 lead. Watauga's strong front line play pushed the squad's lead to 18-9 before winning by an eventual score of 25-16.
The third and final game of the match was the closest of the three. The two teams were nip and tuck through the duration of the match as Avery held an 8-7 lead early in the game. A small lead seesawed between the clubs until the Lady Pioneers stretched a lead to a working margin at 21-18. Avery trailed by a 23-20 score when Watauga took a timeout. The stoppage proved wise to the visitors, as they won the final two points for a 25-20 game win and match victory.
Avery travels to Owen on Thursday evening to open Western Highlands Conference play.
