DIAMOND — The fifth-seeded New Heights Christian Academy Cougars volleyball team's season came to an end — but not without a fight — in a five-set loss (22-25, 25-14, 25-22, 14-22, 11-15) to the fourth-seeded Stockton High School Tigers at the Class 2 District 11 tournament Thursday at Diamond High School.
On a night that began by honoring Cougars junior Caitlin Meppelink for surpassing the 2,000 career assists mark, Stockton (14-15-5) captured the opening set 25-22. That set was close throughout, but Stockton (14-15-1) was able to close out the win off an Emmalynn Naylor spike from the left side.
Set 2 saw the Cougars jump out to a 13-1 lead, courtesy of strong serving — with multiple aces — by Natalie Grant and kills by Lydia Hipple and Eva Hines. New Heights later went up by 11 points at 16-5 off a Meppelink kill.
Stockton pulled within 8 at 21-13, but the Cougars went on a 3-point run that included a Hipple kill and a pair of Grant aces.
Stockton made it a 14-24 set when Naylor buried a kill from the left side, but Hipple closed out the Set 2 25-14 win with a hard kill in the middle.
New Heights went up 2-1 in the match with a 25-22 win in the third set. That set was close throughout, until the Cougars managed to earn a 24-20 lead after a 3-point run that was capped off by a Meppelink kill. Stockton battled back to within 2 at 24-22, but New Heights' Madison Johnson found an open spot on the floor with a tip over the net to give the Cougars a 25-22 set win and put her team up 2-1 in the match.
Stockton evened the match at 2-all with a 22-14 win in Set 4. Up 16-14, the Tigers created separation and closed out the set scoring the final 9 points. That 9-point run included two aces and a kill by Kynlee Roy that set up a decisive fifth set.
The Tigers leaped out to an early 7-3 lead. New Heights' Mya Williams made it 7-4 with a cross-court kill from the left side to the right baseline, but Stockton put together a 3 point mini run to go up 10-4.
A Tigers attack error and another Williams kill pulled the Cougars within 4 at 6-10, prompting a Stockton time out. Down 13-8 later in the set, New Heights trimmed the Tigers lead to 13-11 off a Meppelink tip over the net, a Tigers attack error and a Stockton hitting error.
The Tigers closed out the 15-11 set and 3-2 match win with a kill by Taylor Graves and a Cougars attack error.
New Heights head coach Christy Hipple talked about this year's team.
"We have a very solid team," Hipple said. "They are pretty even all around. They work really hard in practice and in the offseason. They are dedicated, and I love the way they love each other and how in everything they do, they just want to honor the Lord."
Hipple loses one senior, who also happens to be a four year starter and her own daughter. She talked about the emotions that come with coaching her for the last time.
"It's pretty tough," Hipple said. "She was a little upset in the locker room, and I was trying to hold my composure, because I am the coach. But it's hard because she is a senior and she's my daughter, so losing her is tough."