CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Walters State lost a game against a Tennessee Community College Athletic Association rival for the first time all season Saturday afternoon in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII Tournament championship against Chattanooga State, but the Lady Senators won the match to take home their second straight region crown.
Walters State opened the match at Cleveland State's L. Quentin Lane Gymnasium with a 25-15 victory before rallying for a late lead in the second game but falling short, 25-22. The third and fourth games were dominated by the Lady Senators, as WSCC outscored Chattanooga State 50-19 in those games by winning 25-12 and 25-7 to close out the match and claim the championship.
With the win, the Lady Senators improve to 20-8 on the year, and they will play in the District O Tournament next weekend in North Carolina.
The loss ended the year for the Lady Tigers, as their inaugural campaign closed with a 13-8 record.
Kaley Muncy, Micayla Vallie and Hayley Wolfe were all named to the All-Region VII Team, with Vallie tabbed as the Player of the Year and WSCC coach Megan Blaylock was named the Coach of the Year. Muncy was named the Most Valuable Player of the Region VII Tournament.
The Lady Senators took a quick 7-2 lead in the opening set but couldn't shake the Lady Tigers until late in the game. After leading 17-11, Walters State scored five of the next seven points and took the opening stanza 25-15.
The second game saw the Lady Senators take a 7-3 lead before an 8-2 run by Chattanooga State gave the Lady Tigers an 11-9 lead. Walters State would regain the lead late in the game at 20-19, but a 6-3 spurt by Chattanooga State closed out the game with a 25-22 win for the Lady Tigers, the first game the Lady Senators had dropped in TCCAA play this season.
The third game was tight early, with WSCC leading 6-5, but a 4-0 run after grabbing a 12-9 advantage helped spread the margin to seven, and the Lady Senators never looked back. The lead swelled to a dozen late, and Walters State took a 25-12 win in the third.
The fourth game was a blowout from start to finish, as Walters State scored 19 of the first 20 points in the set on the way to a 25-7 win to capture the Region VII title.
The Lady Senators will be back in action beginning Friday when they open play in the District O Tournament in Kinston.