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Cedar Bluff went 0-4 in the Sardis tournament, including a setback against county rival Sand Rock, who went 3-1 on Saturday.

On Tuesday night, the two teams had their rematch, but with a different result. Cedar Bluff jumped out on a 6-0 run in the first game and held on for a 28-26 victory.

Sand Rock rebounded to take the second game 25-12, forcing a decisive third game.

And, much like the first game, Cedar Bluff jumped out to an early 4-1 lead and managed to hold on for a 15-13 win, Adams’ first as the Lady Tigers’ head coach.

Sand Rock (5-2) swept Sacred Heart in its second match of the evening, winning 25-20 and 26-24. Cedar BluffÐÔÊӽ紫ý scrappiness carried over into its match against Sacred Heart, but the Lady Tigers (1-5) ultimately fell 13-25, 25-19 and 11-15.

“It was definitely an improvement from Saturday,� Adams said. “After Saturday, we were able to start focusing more on what we needed to do as a team, and we saw a lot of improvement. We stayed energetic that first game (against Sand Rock). The second game we got in that comfort zone and let them beat us, but I was proud of them for picking it right back up for that third game.�

Sand Rock coach Lisa Bates said Cedar Bluff “outplayed us.�

“They were really scrappy,â€� she said. “They went after everything. We just tipped the ball the whole night versus both teams. I don’t feel like we’re hitting at all, and thatÐÔÊӽ紫ý not going to get it. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý going to keep us average.â€�

Like Adams, Bates now has a clearer picture on what the Lady Wildcats really need to focus on at practice.

“I’ve got some young ones who are playing too scared to hit,� Bates said. “We’ve got to get some more offense and we’ve got to be more aggressive. We knew we were going to have to battle every day, so we’re going to work on that some more to get ready to battle every time we play.�

For the night, Madison McCullough led the Lady Wildcats with 16 kills and 20 digs. Sabryn Chandler contributed 32 digs and seven kills. Haylie Pruitt had seven kills and a pair of blocks. Courtney Williams added 26 assists and 24 digs. Savannah Blackwell had six kills. Audrey Richardson posted 12 assists. August Gilliland came away with eight digs, four kills, and three aces. Madison Allen finished with 24 digs

Against Sand Rock, Marigrace Wilson had seven kills and a pair of blocks. Clair Bryant added five kills and Abby Storey posted four kills. Ashley Goodwin managed four blocks and three kills. Colbi Whitlock contributed six aces and Julianne Wilson finished with 15 assists and a pair of kills.

In the loss to Sacred Heart, Marigrace Wilson and Storey both contributed eight kills. Marigrace Wilson also added a pair of aces. Julianne Wilson delivered 20 assists. Goodwin had three kills and Whitlock managed three aces. Bryant and Brooklyn Abernathy both finished with an ace.

Adams said the Lady Tigers had “low energy� against Sacred Heart.

“We just couldn’t get on a roll,� she said. “We stayed in the game, but we couldn’t get ahead. I know it was hot in here and it got late, but we just let our energy drop. You can’t feed off of low energy.�

Cedar Bluff plays in a tri-match with Crossville at Cherokee County next Tuesday. Sand RockÐÔÊӽ紫ý next match is also next Tuesday against Class 3A, Area 13 rival New Hope.