BRISTOL -- Almost every year and virtually in every sport, it seems that some local high school assembles a cohesive group which dominates its peers to the point of perfection, like the 2024 Science Hill volleyball team.
The high-speed Hilltoppers, fueled by setter Ella Neal, finished a perfect regular-season ride through the Big East Conference on Tuesday, brushing past second-place Tennessee High to pocket a 25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 25-15 win at Viking Hall.
One of six seniors in Science Hill's regular rotation, Neal motors an offense which can overwhelm the opposition -- and has all season.
The Hilltoppers (31-5, 10-0) have lost just five of 35 sets against its Big East counterparts, ahead of the six-team, District 1-AAA tournament that begins this week.
"Ella has done a really good job of speeding up our offense," eighth-year Science Hill coach Laura Cook said. "And we really try to have a lot of weapons going at the same time."
Neal, who finished with a whopping 47 assists to give her in the 2,500-ballpark over an outstanding career, often distributed to her attackers with irresistible feeds that hovered just a couple of feet above the net, instead of maybe four or five feet.
The difference is obvious, even to a novice.
"That's a fast offense," Cook explained. "We try to speed up ... we're speeding up.
"Ella just plays to each hitter's ... I don't know, she plays to their strengths. She knows which set each hitter needs and she gives it to them. And the girls like to play fast like that."
Middle hitter Chelsea Blaine and outside hitter Addi Stables, a pair of seniors, were on Neal's speed dial, finishing with 22 and 15 kills, respectively. Clara McBride, a sophomore, had eight.
Tennessee High (27-8, 7-3) likes to speed it up when it can under first-year coach Carley Williams, but there are other factors that make the Hilltoppers a tough nut to crack.
"They have a really strong setter with Ella who runs a really fast-paced offense, and they've got three great hitters," Williams said. "We try ... I mean, if we get a good ball we run fast pace, too.
"But it matters how you serve-receive, and they are strong at serve-receive."
Defensively, SHHS got strong games on the back row from two more seniors, specialist Avery Bragg (19 digs) and libero Campbell Hixson (18 digs). Stables helped with 16 digs.
Tennessee High, which gets a first-round district bye along with the Hilltoppers, dropped the initial two sets in this one, before winning the third.
The athletic, 5-foot-11 Blaine clearly embraced the threat at that point, and began dominating at the net to lead her teammates home with their perfect conference worksheet still intact.
"We did a great job those first three sets," said Williams, who got team-high efforts from Erin Littleton with 14 kills, Bree Adams with 39 assists and Addy Gentry with 18 digs, plus a double-double from Ashton Blair (10 kills, 14 digs). "I mean, they were close games, and we were able to run a fast-paced offense, too.
"But Chelsea, she is very good at spreading herself out around the court ... running stuff in the middle, running stuff on the right side ... So, we've got to figure out a way to defend that."
Williams will take all the Science Hill she can get, as her junior-dominated squad continues to find its way in THS's second season since moving up from Class AA.
"I love playing against Science Hill because we need to see that," the 24-year-old said. "And we ... I mean, I think we play faster whenever the other team is playing faster.
"But, yeah, I'm super proud of my girls (for finishing second in the Big East)."
Both squads automatically move into the double-elimination portion of district play, and having that bye removes any chance that either's season could end right there in the first round.
Dobyns-Bennett plays David Crockett and West Ridge faces Daniel Boone in a pair of first-round matches Thursday at Science Hill, with only the winners joining the Hilltoppers and the Vikings in next week's double-elimination stage.
The district winner and runner-up advance to the Region 1-AAA tournament.
But for now, Cook opted not to look past today, talking instead about her squad's DNA.
"This group, they're just fun," the lifetime volleyball devotee said. "They like each other, they root for each other. And it's been a very special group. I can't say enough nice things about how good they are to each other and how much they love the team.
"To use their words, they play for the person standing next to them."
