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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

CHELSEA – In their final match before the Class 6A, Area 8 tournament, the Chelsea Hornets faced some early adversity but took it in stride to defeat the Homewood Patriots for the second time in as many weeks.

Chelsea won three straight sets to beat Homewood 3-1 on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Chelsea High School to finish out the regular season on a high note.

Just like most of the season, the Hornets seniors led the way, but this time, their big performances came in their final home match at Chelsea High School.

Lauren Buchanan secured a double-double with 20 kills and 12 digs and also added three aces and a solo block. Cara Belcher also got a double-double from the setter spot with 36 assists and a team-high 13 digs. Lila Willett got into double-figures with 11 kills and also had a solo block.

Presley Durham tied for the team-high in blocks with sophomore Alexis Rudolph with two solo blocks. Durham added four kills to her total, and Kaleigh Hall also made an impact with five kills. Payton Walker also secured two digs and an assist in her final home match.

The two teams started out the match in a tightly-contested affair, but Homewood had the edge in the final points of the first set.

The Patriots held off the Hornets to win the opening frame 25-22, putting Chelsea behind 1-0 on its home court.

The Hornets responded to the adversity and took command of the second set, establishing a comfortable lead that they would use to take the win.

Chelsea went on to win the second set 25-18 to tie up the match at 1-1 and flip the momentum back in their favor.

Homewood answered the Hornets’ set win by making the third set close just like the first.

In fact, the third set was decided by the same margin as the opening set–three points. This time, however, Chelsea stepped up and took the 25-22 win to take the 2-1 lead in the match.

The Hornets saw out the victory from there and rolled on to a third straight set victory, this time by a score of 25-19 to win the fourth set and claim the 3-1 match victory.

The win also secured a sweep in the season series against Homewood as Chelsea won the previous meeting between the teams 3-0 on Oct. 1.

The key performances weren’t limited to the seniors. Sophia Bagley earned eight digs, six assists and two aces. Rudolph also added five kills and four digs to her two-block night.

The Hornets finished the regular season with a 24-13 record. They will now face Spain Park in the semifinals of the area tournament on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 4:30 p.m. at Pelham High School. The winner will seal a spot in the Class 6A super regionals.