Dig or Die.
That’s one of Polk County volleyball’s most favorite practice drills. The mechanics are simple: let the ball hit the floor, you lose all your points. Whatever it takes, keep it alive.
“They love it,” Wolverines’ head coach Molly Hill said.
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It sure served them well on Tuesday night.
Backs against the wall, Polk County brought that Dig or Die mindset into a tiebreaker game against Hendersonville, taking a 3-2 thriller (20-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-27, 15-13) to claim second place in the Western Highlands Conference standings.
“We knew going into it that it was going to be super-competitive,” Hill said. “But we also knew the urgency of the game and that we really had to have that win, not only for the conference standings but for playoffs. There was a lot of pressure.
“I think we’d talked about it a lot and they knew the expectation. It’s hard to do that on an emotional night like senior night. That first set, you could tell they were a little emotional, but we got over that. And I felt like for the majority of the five-set match, we held the control.”
It wasn’t easy, and the knowledge of what was at stake did indeed play a big factor in the match. That’s why Akeela Cunningham was flinging herself all over the court. It’s why Charley Dusenbury and Elena Greve nearly knocked each other out at the net in pursuit of a ball. And it’s why Reeve Carroll turned her back on the net at a dead run, stopped and kicked the ball backwards over her head, a foot inbounds on the other side, to keep a rally alive.
The point Polk County (14-11, 10-2) stayed in and eventually won because of Carroll’s kick was critical in the tiebreaker game, turning what looked like a sure match-point deficit into 13-12 and new life. That point, and another earlier in the match in which the Wolverines continued to play after winning a point but not hearing a whistle, delighted Hill.
“That’s kind of our mentality we have in those moments,” Hill said. “That game to 15, that’s Dig or Die. We don’t have time to mess around. Every single point, we’re going after it, we’ve got to have that mentality, and I’m so proud of the way they did that. They wanted it.”
Cunningham had 28 kills and 37 digs to lead the Wolverines. Carroll had 21 kills and 27 digs, including the miraculous one with her foot to keep Polk County in it. Dusenbury and Abby Lewis had 26 assists each.
Now, the Wolverines will wait to see who they draw for Saturday’s opening round of the 3A state playoffs. Pairings are set to be announced on Thursday. Whoever they face, Hill said she expects the Wolverines seniors to continue to lead the way.
“They have been through this before,” she said. “They may not have actively been on the court in those years past, but they had chances. They know what it’s like. Being there before – watching it, experiencing it, seeing it – they’re going to be able to take what they’ve learned and apply it. I think that’s the whole point of learning and playing and coaching and practicing. You take what you’ve learned and you go apply it during a game.”
