BENTON — Mountain Home is certainly enjoying its stay in central Arkansas.
Sophomores Katie Kapler and Emma Gist combined for 33 kills as the Lady Bombers knocked off defending state champion and host team Benton, 3-2, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals of the Class 6A state volleyball tournament.
Three points from elimination in the fourth game, the Lady Bombers (19-6) rallied behind Kapler’s kills and excellent net play to force a fifth game and eventually take a 23-25, 25-19, 22-25, 26-24, 15-10 victory over the Lady Panthers that took 2:03 to complete.
“Our kids just fought today,” said Mountain Home Coach Lindsey Larry, whose team defeated El Dorado in Tuesday’s first round. “They played with their hearts. I had no doubts that they would come in here today and play their hearts out, and they got it done.”
Mountain Home plays 6A-East champion Marion in today’s semifinals. Jonesboro and Van Buren will play in the other semifinal.
Kapler’s play in the fifth game helped Mountain Home turn a 5-4 lead into a 12-5 advantage that eventually led to the Lady Bombers’ victory.
“To beat them - the defending state champions - on their home court, it’s just a huge step for our program,” Larry said. “I can’t commend our kids enough.”
Mountain Home had also built big leads in the second, third and fourth games, but Benton (20-6) rallied from an 8-2 deficit to win the third game and were down 18-13 in the fourth before scoring nine of the next 11 points.
“That’s been our whole season,” B enton Coach Brandy Chumley said. “We dig ourselves into a hole, and sometimes we dig our way out of it and sometimes we don’t. Obviously tonight we didn’t.”
Junior outside hitter Emily Mogan led Benton with 14 kills, while junior middle hitter Kristen Ryan had 11. Ryan also had three aces. Senior Kyleigh Bennett had two aces, one of which came on the final point in the third game.
Gist wound up with a teamhigh 17 kills for Mountain Home, while Kapler had 16.
Larry commended the play of senior libero Shelby Upshaw, who had suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the day during practice.
“Gist had some huge blocks for us, and Katie came up big for us on the front row,” Larry said. “[Upshaw] didn’t let a lot fall on the back row. After she got hurt today, it was pretty big for her to come back and play. Her shoulder came out of place.”
“Mountain Home came out and played a great game,” Chumley said. “They did what they had to do when they needed to do it. And unfortunately, we let them.”
Sports, Pages 23 on 10/28/2010