For a set and a half in Thursday’s GHSA Class AA volleyball final, Ringgold appeared to be overmatched against 2024 state champion Morgan County.
Ringgold would go on to lose 3-1 to the top-seeded Lady Bulldogs in the best-of-five match at the LakePoint Sports Champions Center in Emerson, but the final three sets were both uplifting and kind of disappointing for the sixth-seeded Lady Tigers, who were making the program’s first appearance in a state final. Morgan County defeated Ringgold 3-0 in the semifinal round last year.
Morgan County (33-12) used a 10-0 run to roll to a 25-16 win in the first set, then led 22-14 in the second set before things changed. Ringgold (34-12) won nine of the next 10 points to get within a point at 24-23, but a volley into the net ended the set.
It did not, though, end Ringgold’s resolve as the Lady Tigers would dominate the third set, 25-12, and led 19-16 in the fourth set before Abby Dennard led the Lady Bulldogs late for a 25-22 set win that clinched their repeat title.
“I was hoping to win that fourth set so we could go into a fifth set,” Ringgold coach Ashley Boren said. “We’ve had wins in our past two games in that fifth set, so we felt confident if we could get there.
“After losing the first two sets, they knew they had to win the third set to stay alive. They came out strong and never let up and we won. That was the effort and energy we needed in the first set and a half.”
Dennard, who entered Thursday with a team-high 343 kills this season, had her way with the Ringgold front early with 12 more through the team’s dominant start. The Lady Tigers, led by Alayna Yarger, focused on shutting her down after that, leading to the rally that fell just short.
Dennard’s kill put Morgan County up 22-14 in the second set, and it was 23-18 after Mallory Davidson’s kill for the Lady Bulldogs. After a timeout, though, the Lady Tigers got within 24-23 before their shot hit the top of the net and fell back.
Despite the 0-2 hole in sets, the momentum gained remained as Ringgold rolled to a 15-6 lead en route to winning the third set. The Lady Tigers led 19-16 in the fourth set after Natalie Crane’s serve was hit out by Emariana Johnson, but the Lady Bulldogs would win eight of the last 11 points.
“While we didn’t win the state championship, being state runner-up and making school history is an awesome accomplishment,” Boren said. “After the game, one of the seniors said to me, ‘What a season to go out on,’ and I agree. We are definitely going to miss our four seniors next year, on and off the court.”
Yarger, a senior committed to Chattanooga State, had eight kills and five blocks to pace Ringgold, with other notable contributors Thursday including Crane (17 assists, four blocks, two kills), Loren Maloney (seven kills, four blocks) and Emaline Sink (four kills, three blocks, two assists).
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.