HUSTLE PLAY … Fayette’s Kelsie Storrs makes an acrobatic play to get the ball over the net for the Eagles.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
TEAMWORK … Hilltop’s Brynn Rodriguez (red, #10) and Addi Smith go up to block the attack of Fayette’s Kennedy Kunkle.
By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
FAYETTE (August 19, 2025) – The Hilltop Cadets put on a dominant display in a non-league matchup against the Fayette Eagles on Tuesday night, led by a stellar performance from their MH, Brynn Rodriguez.
The Cadets came out of the gates strong, taking an early 9-4 lead to start the first set, giving themself a small cushion just moments into the match.
The next few possessions went back and forth, with both sides fighting hard to chip away at one another. With the score at 10-6, the Cadets would go on a six-point run, with one of those points being a block from Rodriguez, who had two on the night.
This run was stopped by a nice attack from Kelsie Storrs, making the score 16-7 midway through the set. After the stop, Hilltop would then go another six-point run, with Hayden JoHantgen picking up a pair of aces during that span.
After a small run of their own, Fayette would surrender the final three points in four possessions, giving the Cadets a 25-11 first-set win.
The second set was more of the same, as the Cadets quickly gained a 3-1 lead, which was followed by an eight-point scoring run, with contributions coming from all over the board.
Meanwhile, the run was again ended by an attack from Storrs, making the score 11-2, and it kept the Cadets from pouring on another long scoring run in the set.
The rest of the set went back and forth, with the Eagles trying to slowly claw their way back into the game, but Hilltop was just too much, as the second set ended with a 25-10 set win for the Cadets.
The third set was the most competitive one of the night, as the teams would swap points early on, making it a 10-9 Hilltop lead early in the final set.
The Cadets would go on their fourth six-plus point scoring run of the night, with Brooklyn Kuszmaul securing a pair of aces, and Rodriguez had two of her game-high seventeen kills in that span.
Through it all, the Eagles continued to fight, making Hilltop earn every point of their win, as they scored six straight of their own, making it 18-15. From this point on, Rodriguez and company dialed it in and finished off the Eagles for good, with a set win of 25-20.
Hilltop d. Fayette 25-11, 25-10, 25-20
MATCH STATISTICS
Hilltop (1-0): Brynn Rodriguez – 32/34 attacks, 17 kills, 2 aces; 2 blocks; Hayden JoHantgen – 48/48 setting, 19 assists, 5 aces
Fayette (1-2): no statistics
Junior Varsity: Hilltop, 25-17, 25-20