By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — For the second time this week, the Watauga High School volleyball team fell behind to a non-conference opponent on the road, then rallied to capture a nailbiter of a win. The August 27 victim: longtime High Country rival, Ashe County, 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-11, 27-25).
After falling to the Huskies in the first set, 22-25, the Pioneers gained their footing and breezed through the second and third sets rather handily, winning 25-14 and 25-11, respectively.
And that is when the real drama began. Ashe County seemed determined to defend their home court and jumped out to a seemingly insurmountable advantage. Leading 19-10 in the fourth set, the Huskies looked like they would tie the match at two sets apiece.
“If there is a word that best describes this 2025 Watauga team, it is ‘resilient,'” said a smiling Pioneer head coach, Kim Pryor, after her charges rallied from the edge of fourth set oblivion to secure the win, in overtime, no less. “We are steady. We don’t get rattled when things turn against us. We know we can come back from anything. We are banking these games and building something big, I hope.
“We schedule non-conference opponents like this because it prepares us for the tests we will face in Northwestern Conference play and beyond the regular season, in the playoffs,” added Pryor. “Ashe County is a well-coached, quality team with some terrific players, every year. They really work in the off-season. They are a great team with a lot of talent. That is why we are playing them twice in non-conference play. We both know we need these kinds of challenges.”
It is hard to pinpoint any individual behind the Pioneers’ dramatic rally from being down 19-10 in the decisive fourth set. An obvious choice for many would be the powerful serves and kill shots of senior outside hitter, Emma Pastusic — and few would argue that viewpoint. But others will point to the service runs by junior outside hitter Ashlyn Smith, junior defensive specialist Graycie Collins and senior defensive specialist Lilli Combs, as well as sophomore libero Caroline Childers. Still more will describe the scrambling sets fashioned by junior setter Lainey Gragg or opportunistic dinks, as well as slams by front row role players Kora Knight, Julia Rowan and Addie Stough.
All would be right, of course, because volleyball is a team game won or lost by the individual contributions of players who effectively “connect” with each other.
“We’ve been working on our setter-hitter connections,” said Pastusic after the game. “Making the ball faster and getting to it faster, placing the ball better and better arm swings, so the ball goes down.”
Critical to the success of those setters and hitters are the back row skills to dig out often powerful kill shots by an opponent and keep the ball in play.
“As a defensive specialist,” said Combs, “my role is to keep the ball in play, but at the same time to pass the ball to the primary setter in a way that makes it easier for her to deliver the perfect set for our hitters. It’s a challenge sometimes, but a lot of fun.”
The now 6-1 Pioneers have little time to celebrate their Aug. 27 win. They are on the road again Aug. 28, facing Forbush (East Bend, N.C., in northeastern Yadkin County), 4-3, with tight matches of its own against quality opponents Mount Tabor and East Forsyth.
WATAUGA STAT LEADERS VS. ASHE COUNTY
- Kills: Emma Pastusic (25), Julia Rowan (6), Kora Knight (4)
- Assists: Lainey Gragg (38)
- Stuff Blocks: Kora Knight (3), Addie Stough (2), Julia Rowan (1), Emma Pastusic (1)
- Digs: Caroline Childers (24), Lilli Combs (21), Lainey Gragg (14), Emma Pastusic (10), Ashlyn Smith (9)
- Service Aces: Caroline Childers (4), Emma Pastusic (4), Graycie Collins (1)
JV
Watauga’s junior varsity Pioneers breezed through their curtain-raiser match with a two-set sweep, 25-11, 25-13. Stat leaders included:
- Mia Mitchell: 11 assists, 3 service aces, 1 stuff block, 3 digs
- Kira Beasley: 3 kills, 1 assist, 6 service aces, 4 digs
- Haileigh Peele: 4 kills
- Adeline Tate: 4 kills
- Ember Honeycutt: 2 assists, 2 service aces, 3 digs
- Kelbey Windish: 4 digs
- Madison Plemons: 3 service aces, 2 digs
