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The Oak Hall Eagles defeated the Rocky Bayou Christian Knights in straight sets Tuesday in the 2A District 1 volleyball tournament semifinal.
Bouncing Back From Slow Start
Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville) held the fourth overall seed in the district and Oak Hall maintains the first.
Coming off of a bye in the quarterfinals, the Eagles showed their rest by allowing the Knights (7-16) to keep the first set close. Both teams seemed to have a lack of communication early on.
The Eagles (15-2) became more comfortable as the set moved on and took the first frame 25-13.
Oak Hall takes the first set 25-13. pic.twitter.com/HOM2WlAacF
— Riley (@rileyorovitz) October 15, 2024
Contributions From Whole Roster
The Eagles started the second set quietly, but used their deep talent to crawl back. The Knights opened the set 4-2, but quickly fell 14-8.
Even after the bye, the Eagles showed off their chemistry and created numerous competitive points.
Junior Lizzie Cannon and senior Cassidy McDonald had multiple kills to extend the Eagles’ lead.
Another upperclassman, Sara Duggan, rattled off five straight points in her service and helped Oak Hall take the pivotal second set 25-13.
Tournament Success
The Knights took down five seed Saint Francis Catholic on Monday night, but could not generate the same success against the top-seeded team.
The Eagles opened the final set with a 6-1 lead and fended off a relentless Knight effort.
There was no give from the home team as McDonald put her athleticism on full display to seal the win 25-11.
The Eagles look to continue their success and take the district with coach Perry McDonald at the helm.
“[P.K. Yonge] is a young, scrappy, competitive team that pulled off a sensational win tonight and we’re going to have our work cut out for us,” he said. “As we go forward, it’s going to be guns blazing and everything you’ve got you have to leave it all on the court.”
Up Next
The Eagles will host the district championship match against the third seed P.K. Yonge Blue Wave (4-18) at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Blue Wave eliminated second seed Tallahassee Maclay in five sets in Tuesday’s other semifinal.
