Opp, Andy fall at regional

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 29, 2002

A long day of high school volleyball action at Opp High School ended with the UMS-Wright Lady Bulldogs and the Gulf Shores Lady Dolphins advancing to the State Tournament.

UMS-Wright won the Class 4A Regional Tournament Championship with a 15-8, 15-12 victory against Gulf Shores in the title game. The Lady Dolphins finished as the runner-up and also earned a spot in the state tournament being held in Pelham beginning Thursday.

The Opp Lady Bobcats finished in third-place just missing a spot in the state tournament.

Opp began the tournament with a hard-fought 18-16, 15-6 victory against Ashford in the first round of the regional. In the second match, the Lady Bobcats faced Gulf Shores and fell by a final score of 15-13, 15-3.

The loss dropped the Lady Bobcats into the loser's bracket for an elimination match against the Andalusia Lady Bulldogs.

The Lady Bulldogs lost a first-round match against Geneva 15-1, 15-4 sending Andalusia into the loser's bracket. The Lady Bulldogs rebounded from the loss with a 15-6, 15-11 victory against Daleville in an elimination match.

The win against Daleville set up the showdown against the Lady Bobcats from Opp.

Opp edged Andalusia in the first game of the match by a score of 15-12. Andalusia rallied in the second game of the match to secure a 15-7 win to send the match to a third and deciding game.

In the third game of the match, the Lady Bobcats posted a 15-6 victory to eliminate the Lady Bulldogs and stay alive in the tournament.

Opp faced Ashford, for the second time in the tournament next, after the Lady Yellow Jackets eliminated Dale County and Geneva in loser bracket matches.

Opp once again needed three games to get a win, stinging the Lady Yellow Jackets 10-15, 15-13, 15-11 to advance to the semifinal match of the tournament.

The Lady Bobcats faced the Gulf Shores Lady Dolphins in the semifinal match. The Lady Dolphins benefited from a break just prior to the action while the Lady Bobcats entered the match having played eight consecutive games in three matches without a break.

The Lady Bobcats, however, kept the score close in the early going of the first game with a 5-4 lead at one point in the contest.

The Lady Dolphins scored seven consecutive points to go on top 11-5 and went on to record a 15-9 win in the first game of the match.

In the second game, Gulf Shores built a 7-0 lead before giving up a point to the Lady Bobcats. Opp rallied to get within two points of the Lady Dolphins at 8-6.

Gulf Shores, however, added to the lead building a 12-6 lead. Opp attempted one more rally scoring four points to get back within two of the Lady Dolphins at 12-10.

The Lady Dolphins responded with a 3-1 run for a 15-11 win to clinch the match and a spot in the regional championship match. The UMS-Wright Lady Bulldogs won the title match 15-8, 15-12.