Lady Purples volleyball rallies in the fifth to advance to the second round of KHSAA State Tournament

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Bowling Green defeats Elizabethtown in a five-set thriller to advance to the Elite 8 of the state volleyball tournament.

The Lady Purples took their second of only two losses on the season to the Lady Panthers back on Oct. 10.

Bowling Green made quick of the first set 25 to 16 as Elizabethtown couldn’t shake the serving streak from Purple Kaia Barnett.

Set two, the Lady Panthers came out striking to take an early five-point lead, but it was all tied up at 12 after a block by Amirra Bailey. The teams went toe to toe for the rest of the set. It was tied 25-all when Bailey came in with another block to take the lead. The Lady Purples finish it out after the tip by Jessica Smallwood hits the top of the tape, but doesn’t cross over into Purples territory.

Set three was an entirely different story though. The Lady Panthers weren’t going down without a fight. They take the third set pretty handily 25 to 15.

Bowling Green had a 19 to 14 lead in the fourth. but E-town went on an 11-point run to force a fifth set.

The Purples go up three to start the fifth, but it was point-by-point after that. It was ten-all and the Panthers had the service, but Barnett sets up Bailey and she tips it right over the net for the kill. Bowling Green goes on a five-point run to take the fifth set 15 to 10 and advance to the second round.

The Lady Purples will face McCracken County at noon on Thursday at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.

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