Rye Cove, Twin Springs fall in Region 1D quarterfinals

CLINCHPORT — Every season must eventually come to an end. That happened on Wednesday for Rye Cove volleyball. Ditto for Twin Springs. Jalynn Rogers had her usual solid outing in her final high school match, contributing 19 kills, nine digs and two aces for Rye Cove as the Eagles dropped a 25-21, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19 Region 1D tournament quarterfinal decision to Patrick Henry at the Eagles' Nest. Twin Springs also saw its season end with a 25-10, 25-15, 25-18 Region 1D quarterfinal loss at Grundy. Rogers will certainly be missed by Rye Cove first-year head coach Hayley White, whose Eagles finished 17-8, making their first Region 1D tournament since 2021. "Jalynn was my only senior this year. She gave it her all, every single match, every single hit, every single set, she gave it her all," White said. "I hate it for her, I know what it is like being in her shoes as a senior when the season is over with. I am proud of that kid. She started volleyball a little bit later in life. She didn't play her freshman year, but I am so proud of her. I am super proud to be her head coach." She felt much the same about the entire team, which lost the first two sets to the Rebels, but then fought back to win the third set and threatened to take the fourth, but fell short in the end. "I am proud of them. We have had one heckuva season. I am disappointed, but I have to be proud of them. That is what it boils down to," said White, whose Eagles were 11-10 in 2024. "They gave it their all and as a head coach I can't ask for more. I feel like we made a pretty good run." Rye Cove, which got nine kills from Celia Stewart, 37 assists and four digs from Lexi Shupe and 21 digs from Kendal Osborne, started fast, taking a 13-8 lead in the opening set against the Rebels, who had to adjust not only the long ride to Clinchport, but the Eagles had plenty of fans in attendance, including a boisterous student section. "Their student section is really intense, but it is a motivator for sure," said Patrick Henry's 5-foot-10 junior Erin South, who had 16 kills and three blocks for the Rebels. "It took a minute to get into a groove. We usually do that, but once we do, we are a great team."' They proved it from that point, led by South, along with Andie Boone and Kinsley Counts, who both had 12 kills, and Braelyn Scammell, who had 11 kills, as the Rebels rallied past the Eagles with a 17-8 run to end the first set. "The thing about it is I tell my girls all the time the first set is so important," said White, who won two state championships as a player at Gate City. "If we win the first set the girls are in good spirits, they are in the right mindset, they don't get down on themselves. We lost that first set and it is like they gave up at first... "That first set we played halfway decent. Our energy was up, we were in a clear head space and then I am not really sure what happened that second set. I really have no idea." Patrick Henry never trailed in the second set, dominating all over the court, with contributions from many, including Mia Owens with 46 assists, 25 digs, four aces and two kills and Sidney Newton, who contributed 33 digs and four assists. Counts added 18 digs and two aces, Scammell had 27 digs and Boone contributed four blocks. Rye Cove, which dropped a match, 2-1, to the Rebels in a tournament at Patrick Henry earlier this season, fought back in the third set, led by Rogers, who was able to extend her career to one more set. "That third set, I am proud of them coming back and winning that third set," White said. "We can't be really good during the first set and then slack off the second set and then be able to come back and win a third set. It has got to be consistent throughout." Patrick Henry will travel to Castlewood on Thursday to face Grundy in the Region 1D semifinals at 6 p.m. "From here on out, you lose and you are done," said Miller, whose Rebels had last played Rye Cove in region action in 2017, with the Eagles winning that one. "There are extra things on the line that mentally can either push you or hinder you." Rye Cove, which won a pair of state championships in volleyball in the spring and fall of 2003, will lose Rogers to graduation, but White expects the Eagles to continue to show progress. "They gave it all they had and then some. We may have fell short, but that is just going to fuel our fire for next year," White said. "I am really proud of this team. I can't talk bad about the season because this is the best season Rye Cove volleyball has had in a long time. I am super proud of their effort, I am super proud of them for not giving up during that third set and we battled. That is all I can ask for, we battled." Grundy 3, Twin Springs 0 Twin Springs made the long trip to Buchanan County to face the Golden Wave in another Region 1D quarterfinal. It proved to be the end as well for the Titans. Freshman Meadow McConnell led Twin Springs with 12 kills and eight digs and Makenzie Gillenwater added eight digs and three kills in her final high school game, but the the Titans dropped a three-set decision to Grundy, which captured the Black Diamond District title in its final season over existence. Bella Lawson dished out 10 assists and Addison Counts added eight assists and five digs for the Titans. Emma Ross had four kills, Jayde Tomlinson tallied five digs, Ana Lopez had four digs, and Sarah Davidson added two aces in the loss. Twin Springs finished the season with a 13-11 record.