Loudon volleyball was hoping to take home its second win in district play Thursday night, hosting the Kingston Yellow Jackets of Roane County High School.

It was a close contest, but ultimately a slow start helped derail the Lady Redskins, who lost 3-1.
In the first game, Loudon took an early 2-0 lead, but from that point Kingston dominated the set, finishing the game with a 12-4 run out of a Loudon time out.

The Lady Redskins bounced back in the second game. Loudon grabbed an 18-12 lead, but a late seven-point run by the Lady Jackets gave Roane County a 25-23 win in the game and a 2-0 lead over Loudon.

Loudon's third set would break the shutout. The Lady Redskins jumped out to a 7-0 lead and were able to go up 13-7 early. Kingston fought back, going on an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead at 18-13.
With Kallee Harvey leading the way with a strong serve, Loudon was able to take a 12-4 run for a 25-22 win in the game.

"They played more like a team there than they have since our first match," Loudon coach Kent Russell said. "All we've worked this week is communication and back row. That's all we've worked on this week and I think it's really paid off for us."

In the fourth game, Loudon threatened to push things to a fifth and decisive set. Another strong run with Harvey at the serve helped Loudon to a 19-14 lead.

With the game at 22-17, the Lady Jackets made a push, going on an 8-1 run before winning the fourth game, and the match, when a Loudon player was called for making contact with the net.

"I never like losing, but I can stomach it a little bit if they play right," Russell said. "They played right and I can live with it. I'm never going to like it."

Loudon travels to Tellico Plains at 6 p.m. Monday. The return of junior team captain Savannah Harper, who has been out the last two weeks with an ankle injury, should make a positive impact on the team.

The Lady Redskins next home game is 6 p.m. Thursday against CAK.