Bowling Green opens state tournament at home with Elizabethtown Monday night
By Perry Swack
Bowling Green won its second-consecutive 4th Region volleyball championship behind a do-it-all performance from senior Kaia Barnett at South Warren High School on Thursday evening. The setter recorded 24 assists, 14 digs, and 14 service aces as the Lady Purples dispatched of Warren East, 25-13, 25-19, 25-19. The former 14th District foes were meeting for the first time this season. The Lady Raiders were making their first appearance in a region finale but showed it belonged as Baleigh Young recorded seven kills, Jada Knight tallied 16 assists, and Carli Dragoo (13) and Cayden Vandiver (17) combined for 30 digs on the night.
However, Bowling Green proved to be too tough as freshman Amirra Bailey continued her strong season with 16 of the team’s 32 kills and six of the team’s 12 blocks. Senior Elizabeth Maglinger recorded 12 digs for the Lady Purples and Lily-Kate Carver chipped in five kills. Coach Tim Sharp’s club ran its consecutive-set streak victories to 15 and are now 37-2 on the season. The Lady Raiders finished their banner year with a record of 26-9 and a perfect 8-0 in 15th District play. Coach Sheila Yokley’s program will graduate four seniors – Dragoo, Vandiver, Darby Barnett, and Megan Scoggins.
Lady Purples turn attention to state tournament
How was Bowling Green – the top team in the state’s RPI rankings – rewarded with their 4th Region title? A date with the only team in the state of Kentucky to defeat them in 2022 – Elizabethtown. The Lady Purples dropped a road game to the Lady Panthers on October 10. The rematch will be at Bowling Green (Monday at 7:00pm); however, E’Town has been a bit of a giant slayer this season. Coach Bart Catlett’s team has defeated #1 Bowling Green, #2 Central Hardin (twice, including in 5th Region title game), #14 DuPont Manual, and #15 Nelson County among others.
When these two programs met three weeks ago in a five-set thriller, Elizabethtown was led by Sarah Clark’s 17 kills, 20 assists, and 18 digs. Jessica Smallwood tallied 16 kills and nine blocks of her own. The Lady Purples will also need to be wary of Avery Powers (25 digs in the previous meeting) and Alex Jenkins (26 assists and 17 digs). E’Town’s record of 22-13 may not seem daunting, but it knows how to win big games.
However, the Lady Purples seem destined to make a deep run in this iteration of the state tournament. Led by Bailey up front and the senior quartet of Barnett, Maglinger, Carver, and Kenzie Austin, Bowling Green will advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday morning at George Rogers Clark in Winchester.
Bowling Green 3, Elizabethtown 1
