BROWNSTOWN — It was a Jackson County showdown on Tuesday night at Brownstown Central High School with the incoming Owls in town.
It was a matchup in volleyball with both teams fully rested after multiple days off of game action.
Seymour came in sitting at 14-14 on the season and Brownstown at 13-10.
The stage was set between the two county rivals with the Braves taking the early 2-0 lead. Seymour came back to tie it at 6.
The Owls used the momentum to take the victory in three sets. The girls are back over .500 for the first time since they started 2-0 this season.
Seymour was at 4-12 not long ago but has rallied, winning 11 of 13 to sit at 15-14.
Seymour senior Journee Brown spoke about the outcome against the Braves.
“It was a great win. I think it went really well. We played well as a team, and it was a good night for us,” Brown said.
The Owls were dominant at the front of the net, blocking balls left and right, making it tough on the Braves.
Brown spoke about the blocking aspect of the victory.
“It’s a big motivation to get a huge block for the team,” she said. “It’s just a huge motivation to keep playing great.”
Owls head coach Angie Lucas also spoke about the win over Brownstown Central and the dominant play up front.
“We had a good night tonight, and I felt like our girls played hard,” Lucas said. “We served aggressively, and I think that took Brownstown out of their rhythm, but they are a good team. To come here and win in three sets is definitely a big win. Our blockers were disruptive, and it made it easier on our back end.”
The local teams went head-to-head in a back-and-forth battle in the first set. Each team had its fair share of moments with Seymour surging to a 16-12 advantage.
Brownstown then closed the gap at 17-15 before the Owls rallied to make it 21-16, then 24-18, closing it out 25-18 to take the first set.
The second set then started with the Owls seeking control early again, taking a 9-6 advantage. It seemed like every time Brownstown gained momentum, Seymour turned around and went on a run, leading 15-11 to force the Braves to call a timeout.
The Owls turned it on in the second set, eventually taking a 24-13 advantage to seize total control of the match before taking the set 25-14.
After a short break, the third set began with the Braves coming out with more energy, determined to get back into the game.
Seymour still edged Brownstown through the first part of the set, winning 11-6. Brownstown then rallied to cut the deficit to 13-9, but the Owls had an answer, taking total control of the game at 19-11.
Seymour then took the win by the score of 25-13. The Owls will now take a week off to face Bedford North Lawrence on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The game will take place at Seymour High School, and it will be SCSC night.
Braves head coach Jennifer Shade spoke about the tough loss to Seymour.
“It was disappointing. I know our girls can play better than that,” Shade said. “In the scheme of things, we have to learn from this and move on because it’s getting closer to tournament time. I think the atmosphere of the game and the rivalry played into it.”
Shade was asked about the Braves’ next contest, which isn’t until Monday against Scottsburg at 7 p.m.
“We have to keep pushing through the season and getting better every single game,” she said. “We have to because the tournament will be here before we know it.”
The Braves were victorious in the JV game, winning in two sets, 25-18, 25-22.
Seymour statistics:
Serving: Good Serves-Attempts-Aces
Raeann Baker, 18-18-5. Emerson Johnson, 22-23-3. Anna Fish, 11-12-2.
Team: 72-75-11
Hitting: Good Attempts-Attempts-Kills
Journee Brown, 25-26-14. Anna Fish, 30-36-14. Emerson Johnson, 14-14-5.
Team: 89-99-40
Assists: Norah Campbell, 19.
Defensive Digs: Raeann Baker, 15.
Brownstown statistics:
Serving: Good Serves-Attempts-Aces
Alex Davidson, 13-13-0. Finley Wheeler, 9-9-1. Jaydynn Yeadon, 6-6-0.
Team: 45-46-1
Hitting: Good Attempts-Attempts-Kills
Sophie Wischmeier, 26-30-9. Kera Wischmeier, 11-11-6. Kinzee Dean, 18-21-5.
Team: 76-88-25