PARKERSBURG - With volleyball season in full swing, Wood County rivals Parkersburg and Parkersburg South could be getting quite familiar with each other this week.
Although neither program has faced the other thus far into the campaign, that's going to change come 6 p.m. today inside Memorial Fieldhouse when the Big Reds play host to Volley for the Cure in a triangular with the Patriots and Ripley.
Proceeds from this year's Volley for the Cure will go to the Jaime Greathouse Benefit Fund.
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Photo by Jeff Baughan
Parkersburg South’s Lexi Spencer returns a volley against John Marshall. South hosts its annual Fall Brawl tournament Saturday.
"We've always done it for breast cancer, but Jaime's parents have a lot of bills and we decided we'd help out with her," PHS head coach Carl Harnish said of Greathouse, who passed away from cancer in August and was Williamstown's assistant volleyball coach and head softball coach.
Tonight's triangular will feature both the varsity and the junior varsity programs of the Big Reds, Patriots and Vikings.
"The game with South is going to be a real important game because that's going to determine who is going to be the top seed in the sectional," Harnish noted.
Parkersburg South head coach Becky Bennett's progam will carry an eight match winning streak into Memorial Fieldhouse tonight. On Saturday, Parkersburg South will conduct its annual Fall Brawl tournament inside the Rod Oldham Athletic Center and the Roy McCase Gymnasium.
The field for the tournament consists of a dozen teams and two schools from each of the three pools will advance. The host Patriots will be joined by Magnolia, Weir and Brooke. Defending Little Kanawha Conference champion Ritchie County will be joined in its pool by Williamstown, Woodrow Wilson and Hedgesville. The Big Reds have been paired with Wirt County, Tyler Consolidated and Hampshire.
"We play Wirt County first," Harnish said of the Big Reds' 9 a.m. Saturday Fall Brawl opener. "I noticed most of the teams South brought in this year are from the OVAC, but it doesn't make any difference to us."
Parkersburg South upped its season mark to 11-4 after sweeping Wheeling Park on Tuesday. Carmen Cutlip and Kayleigh Rexroad combined for 17 kills in the victory.
Also on Tuesday evening, the Big Reds were in action at George Washington in a triangular match. PHS not only swept the host Patriots by identical scores of 25-23, but the red and white also needed just two sets to dispatch both Cabell Midland and two-time defending Class A state champion Charleston Catholic. Returning first team all-state selection Kayla Lowers had a combined 21 downed spikes for PHS against GW and CM.
"They couldn't stop Kayla. (Paige) Warner did a good job and Imani (Ward) really came through and she was hitting better," Harnish said of the sweep. "We actually blocked well, our serving was good and our hitting was excellent. We just have to keep the girls on the same page."
In last year's Fall Brawl finals, Allison DeLancey registered 14 kills to help lead Ritchie County to a 15-25, 25-23 and 25-22 victory against the Big Reds.
