A determined Chiefland volleyball squad didn’t get the result it wanted on senior night Oct. 9 against Newberry, but it gave its seniors – Sydney Allen, Erika Gilliam, Naja Martin and Karlie Meeks – a worthy tribute while proving its potential to make noise in the district tournament.
The Lady Indians battled the talented Lady Panthers through four closely-fought sets as NHS survived 25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20 to prevail 3-1.
Newberry, now in Class 5A, split a pair of district championship matches with Chiefland in 2015 and 2016, and advanced to the 1A state title match last season.
Adding fuel to the rivalry and senior night, the Lady Indians were also facing off against former teammate and college prospect Madison Baynard.
After falling behind 23-16 in the first set, CMHS narrowed the deficit to 24-21 to make for a more dramatic finish. In the second set, the teams were knotted at 17-17, before a 3-0 Newberry run gave it just enough cushion to survive.