Wolverines battle, but fall to undefeated Brevard

The pieces of the puzzle aren’t quite all in place yet for Polk County’s volleyball team, as nights like Wednesday showed.

But they’re getting awfully close – as nights like Wednesday showed.

The Wolverines fought and hustled and matched points with undefeated Brevard for nearly two hours Wednesday before finally falling 25-21, 25-27, 25-18, 26-24 to the Blue Devils in non-conference action at Polk.

Two nights after defeating defending state champion Hendersonville, Brevard (4-0) found itself in another battle with a Western Highlands Conference foe. That the match was close perhaps surprised no one after the two teams battled through five sets in both of last season’s matches, each won by Brevard.

Those losses gave Polk County added incentive entering this year’s first meeting, and the Wolverines (2-2) were ever so close to forcing yet another fifth set.

Polk opened a 6-2 lead in the fourth set and stayed in front until Brevard rallied to tie the set at 11-11. The teams then swapped points, the Devils up by three at one moment, the Wolverines up two the next, until Polk took a 24-23 lead and served for the set.

But Brevard forced a side out, then held serve the next two points to seal the win.

“There are just a lot of little things right now,” said Polk County head coach Molly Hill. “It’s still early, and I keep having to tell myself that.

“Everyone on the team, with the exception of my libero (Kendall Hall), is playing a new position. I’m proud of each one of them for stepping up and taking on new roles. They fought hard tonight. They really wanted it.”

Having dropped the opening set, Polk County took the second, keyed by stellar defensive play. Bodies routinely hit the court as the Wolverines relied on their blocking and digging to slow Brevard’s hard-hitting attack.

Polk opened a 10-5 lead before Brevard fought back and evened the score at 13. Back-to-back kills by Addie Lynch made it 18-14, and Polk went up 22-17 on a point in which Savannah Ross saved a shot, bumping the ball back into play, before crashing into the bleachers.

Polk reached set point at 24-23 on a dink by Ansley Lynch, but Brevard fought back to take a 25-24 edge. Polk forced a side out, then a Brevard error before Reagan Waddell hammered home the final point to even the match at one set each.

Brevard led the entire third set, opening a 7-2 bulge as the Wolverines seemed sapped by the emotion of the second set. Polk did rally to within one point on three occasions before the Devils pulled away, scoring the final six points of the set.

Waddell had 16 kills and 14 digs, with Addie Lynch adding 15 kills and Ashley Love adding seven kills, 13 digs and there aces. Hall had 30 digs and three aces, Lauren Ketwitz had 13 digs and Ross finished with 36 assists and 18 digs.

The Wolverines return to the court on Thursday, hosting Madison in the conference opener for both teams.

“We have to come back and refocus and start conference,” Hill said. “This one mattered, but that one really matters.”