Hornets shut out Pirates

By: Shelia Mader

The road trip across Jackson County couldn’t have been sweeter for the Cottondale Hornets, who walked away with a straight-set sweep of the Sneads Pirates, their first win over Sneads in several years. The Hornets came out strong and held off the Pirates in a tight opening set, 25–23, then found their rhythm in the second, taking it 25–17. They sealed the match with a confident 25–18 finish in the third.

Cottondale’s offense was led by Anslee Kelly and Taliah Peterson, who each hammered down 14 kills to keep the Pirates on their heels. Defensively, Kendall Benefield anchored the back row with 18 digs, while Peterson and Kelly added 11 each. Setter Anna Claire Speers guided the attack with 26 assists, and Annelise Skipper handled the serve receive duties with 14 receptions.

With this win, Cottondale evened the season series with Sneads, each team winning on the other’s home court. The Hornets are now 1–0 against Marianna and will face them again on Tuesday. A victory there would crown Cottondale the volleyball county champions.