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Washington falls to Benton
Demons season ends after three-set loss to Bobcats
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Washington volleyball’s season came to an end Tuesday night. The Demons worked their way back in all three sets, but came up short in each comeback effort, as they fell 3-0 (22-25, 23-25, 20-25) to Benton in the first round of the Class 3A Region 7 playoffs.
Benton runs were the theme of its narrow victory in each set. In the third, the Bobcats went on a 5-0 run that bridged a Washington timeout and gave the Bobcats a 15-9 lead, which proved insurmountable for the Demons.
“We could never really get going on our side of things,” Washington coach Aaron Six said. “We would get a slight lead. They would take it back with a couple of extra points there, and we were constantly battling to get the lead and just couldn’t put things away when we needed to.”
The Demons found their way back in the second set and took an 12-11 lead with a well-placed Taylor Miksch kill to answer an 8-2 start for the Bobcats. Both teams went on small runs and traded points from there. Benton scored a quick point after it called timeout to go up 23-21.
Another Miksch kill and a Benton error tied the set at 23 before Benton’s Avery Palmer broke the deadlock with a kill near Washington’s right sideline. A serve by Anna Embretson took a friendly Bobcats bounce off the net to end the set.
The tone of the match was set quickly in the the first set. The Demons started the match up 3-0, but couldn’t build on the lead. Benton responded with a 7-0 run that forced Washington to burn an early timeout. The Bobcats added two more points before Washington put another on the board. Benton later ballooned the lead to 18-7.
5-0 and 4-0 Washington runs helped trim the lead. Leighton Messinger recorded a kill, then a service ace to make it 23-22 Benton, but the Bobcats again had answers. Talulah Schroeder found a gap near the Washington service line to win the Bobcats a key 24th point. Schroeder ended the set with a well-placed serve that Washington couldn’t dig cleanly.
Though it fell at the first hurdle in postseason play, Washington maintained the regular season heights it found in 2024. Several players hit individual milestones, including Messinger, who eclipsed 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs to round out a stellar Demons career.
Miksch also had a strong senior season and surpassed 500 career kills and digs. She was given a poster after Tuesday’s match to commemorate the achievement.
Carys Miller, Lily Brown and Addison Miller also wrapped up their Washington volleyball careers Tuesday. The group of five Demons seniors helped improved Washington’s record by three wins from a year ago, capture the first SEC title in program history in 2024 and tally an 18-2 record against conference competition over the past two seasons.
“So, just extremely proud of these girls,” Six said. “Their overall leadership was outstanding. They were a fun group to be around. They constantly were there for one another.”
Several underclassmen also starred for Washington this season. Regan Miller also received handcrafted poster Tuesday night for passing the 500 career assists mark.
Junior Layla Green led the Demons with 45 blocks this season and was third on the team with 172 kills. Her presence was missed in the middle Tuesday, as she was sidelined with a foot injury.
Ellie Farmer led the team in digs from the libero position in her junior season. Sophomores Lauren Drahota and Sarah Berdo started 32 and 30 games, respectively. Drahota eclipsed 100 kills this season.
The younger members on Washington’s roster have plenty of experience and potential to maintain the Demons upward trajectory. The seniors who’s Washington volleyball careers came to an end Tuesday left their mark on the program with the results they earned.
Washington’s upperclassmen also depart with cherished the memories that will stick with them well beyond their days as Demons. Messinger summed up that bond when she recalled a team trip to Applebee's that ended with players staying up all night because they had too many sugary drinks.
“It was just so much fun, and that’s what this team is all about,” Messinger said. “We are truly like a family, which I think is so special, and just all of our little moments before the games in the locker room and at tournaments when we’re kind of just chilling and having fun together between matches. It’s just such a fun experience and I’m so thankful for it.”
