Fort Downs Clarke In 5 Sets To Reach State Title Game
Staff
11/20/2024
BERRYVILLE – Fort Defiance rallied from a 2-1 deficit Tuesday night to defeat Clarke County in the Class 2 volleyball state semifinals to earn a spot in Saturday’s state championship game at the Salem Civic Center.
The Indians won the match 24-26, 25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 15-11 to advance to the state title game for the first time since 1995.
The Fort will play the winner of Wednesday night’s other semifinal match between Ridgeview and James River.
Fort rallied from a 24-19 hole in the first set to tie the score at 24-24. Two service aces by Riley Davis and a kill by Caroline Hanger sparked the rally. A service error gave Clarke the lead and a kill by Isabel Aliveto closed out the first set for the home team.
The Indians stormed out to 9-1 lead in the second set and never trailed. The Eagles pulled to within three points, 13-10, before the Indians pulled away to even the match with a 25-16 win.
Clarke won the third set 25-21 and the fourth set was tied at 17-17 before a kill and an ace by Maecy Frizzelle put Fort up 19-17. Savannah Crookshanks came through with two huge blocks, one with an assist from Hanger, to keep Fort ahead. Hanger recorded the final two points on kills to even the match, 25-20 and force a fifth set.
A block by Crookshanks and Hanger gave Fort a 6-5 lead in the fifth set and the Indians led the rest of the way.
An ace by Davis and another block by Crookshanks and Hanger pushed the Fort lead to 10-6. The Eagles clawed back and trailed just 12-10 on a kill by Aliveto. Frizzell closed out the set with a kill, sending Fort to the state title game.
Frizzelle led Fort with 25 kills, followed by Ella Shreckhise with 10 and Hanger with seven. Davis had a team-high 26 assists and Hanger added 17 assists. Fort had 19 service aces, led by Davis with five and Hanger with four. Frizzelle paced the defense with 25 digs, followed by Shreckhise with 17, Norah Anderson with 14 and Hanger with 10. Crookshanks had one solo block and five block assists and Hanger added four block assists.
