Valdese- It was a matchup for the ages Wednesday night.

The top-seeded Draughn Lady Wildcats and second-seeded Patton Lady Panthers went to battle to settle the score after tying for the Western Piedmont 3A/4A regular season title.

The set outcomes went back and forth until the ultimate do-or-die fifth set as Draughn rattled off eight of eleven points with a Shelby Proffitt serving ace clinching the conference tournament championship.

The win for the Lady Wildcats also made history, as it marked the first time the team reached 20 total wins in a season.

“Patton is a tough opponent and they bring the heat,” said Lady Wildcats coach Triniti Lambert, a former DHS volleyball player now having 35 wins in her second season. “I think that we showed up and played hard to get us the win.”

Draughn won the opening set 25-13 led by kills from Ava Aldridge (4), Bailey Mozeley (3), Macy Auton, Kylie Corpening, Bella Whitson, and Ella Anthony.

Mozeley added three more kills in set two, with Whitson and Proffitt each making a successful serving ace, but the Lady Wildcats only led once despite a late five-point rally, falling 25-20 to the Lady Panthers.

There were four early ties in set three until a serving ace by Peyton Brewer built a three-point advantage with Corpening, Aldridge, Mozeley, Whitson, and Anthony controlling at the net to preserve the 25-13 outcome.

Patton still showed some grit to not give up in set four, building advantages over Draughn while another Brewer serving ace forced a 13-13 tie and a Corpening kill put Draughn in front 18-16.

The Lady Panthers then rattled off nine of the next twelve points for a 25-21 score, forcing the final fifth set.

Patton scored the first three points in the final set until Draughn scored four straight points and battled through four ties to stay ahead and gain the championship victory.

Aldridge (12), Mozeley (12), and Corpening (7) all combined for 31 kills with Aldridge making four serving aces.

“Everybody is on Cloud Nine, I just had to be sure we stayed calm and on the same page,” said Mozeley, reaching 1000 career serving receptions to start the week. “If we keep the energy we have, we should go far (in the state playoffs).”

“This win should put us on a good road (in the state playoffs),” Lambert added.

-Verse of the Day-

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”

-1 Corinthians 15:57 (CSB)