Advance bounces back, earns SCAA win over Bernie

Advance's Emma Eilers (middle) bumps the ball as teammates Brogan Hawkins (left) and Ava Bowling follow the action during Friday's Stoddard County Activities Association volleyball match against Bernie at Bernie High School.

Dexter Statesman/Mike Buhler

BERNIE — The Advance Hornets volleyball team shook off its first loss in almost a year by turning in a 25-21, 25-16, 25-14 road win Friday night over the Bernie Mules in a Stoddard County Activities Association contest at Bernie High School.

Making the win was even sweeter for the Hornets (2-1, 2-0 SCAA) was picking up a straight-set win over a Bernie team which won 18 games last season and returns many of the players from that squad.

“It's so early in the season right now,” Advance coach Erin Hoffman said after Friday's match. “Most teams are going to be up and down. We won the first game (the night before at Saxony Lutheran) … and then end up losing the next three.

“This early in the season, it's just so hard to tell what's going to happen. But we've talked a lot about keeping our mentality right, and I think tonight they kept their mentality pretty good.”

The Hornets won a closely contested first set, then took control of the match in the second set.

After the Mules (2-1, 1-1) closed the gap to 6-5 in the third set, Advance ran off five points in a row to pull ahead 11-5. The Hornets later used a 9-2 run to go ahead 22-11 and closed out the set — and the match — shortly after.

Addison Carlton led Advance with nine kills, while Olivia Kennedy added eight and Emma Eilers had six. Kennedy also had five aces, while Brogan Hawkins and Kyndall Hitt served three apiece and Carlton and Ava Bowling added a pair. Carlton had 12 digs, while Eilers and Hawkins added nine. Kennedy had three solo blocks, while Hitt added 24 assists.

The Hornets head to Oran on Tuesday before making their home debut this Thursday against Arcadia Valley. Meanwhile, Bernie is at Campbell on Tuesday before returning home to take on SCAA rival Bell City this Thursday.