PHS girls win right to host

Published 12:18 am Saturday, October 12, 2013

Pleasant Home’s Ashton Thomasson digs the ball Thursday night. |                              Andrew Garne/r/Star-News

Pleasant Home’s Ashton Thomasson digs the ball Thursday night. | Andrew Garne/r/Star-News

Pleasant Home’s Lady Eagles needed a big area win over Florala Thursday night.

They got it in a 3-0 (25-9, 25-15, 25-12) sweep on the Lady Eagles’ senior night at PHS.

With this victory, PHS will host the Class 1A, Area 2 tournament, which will be held on Tues., Oct. 21.

PHS volleyball coach Jerry Davis said the girls won the tiebreaker over Kinston on percentage points.

Additionally, it automatically qualifies the Lady Eagles to play in the South Super Regional on Oct. 25 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl because they are in a three-team area. Pleasant Home awaits the winner of Florala-Kinston in the area tournament finals.

The winner and runner up of each area tournament advance to the super regional.

“We just got to get healthy,” Davis said. “It was good to see these younger kids step up.”

FHS volleyball coach Joea McNeil said the girls played well and they gave a great effort.

“We saw them doing things we wanted them to do all season — passing and receiving,” she said. “We’ve still got to work on serves.”

PHS led 13-4 in the first set, and later held a 23-9 lead. In the second set, Florala made it a little closer, only trailing by five at 12-7 at the mid-way point.

The Lady Wildcats (3-12) kept it close the rest of the way, but couldn’t overcome the deficit.

PHS (17-6) took another big lead in the third set and cruised to the win.

Before the varsity match began, Pleasant Home seniors Brianna Dozier, Krissie Herman, Allison “Scooty” O’Neal, Mallory Smithart, Ashton Thomasson and Ashley Williamson were honored for their contributions to the program.

In other volleyball action Thursday, Andalusia lost to Northview and Houston Academy in a tri-match.

The Lady Bulldogs fell 13-25, 25-20, 15-17 to Northview; and 20-25, 11-25 to Houston Academy.

Alexis Lawrence and Stephanie Watts had four kills each; Haley Harper had eight assists; Merikal McCaskill and Shebly Meeks had three blocks each to lead AHS in the loss to Northview.

In the loss to HA, Meeks had two blocks, Lawrence had three kills and Harper had three assists.

At Elba, the Opp Lady Bobcats earned a 25-11, 25-17, 25-22 sweep in varsity action.

Straughn got swept by Providence Christian and Rehobeth 2-0 each.

All local teams will be back in action on Tuesday.

Andalusia hosts T.R. Miller for its senior day; Opp hosts Elba for a varsity only match; and Pleasant Home hosts Straughn in its last regular season match.

Florala ended its regular season on Thursday.