The DHS volleyball team had its first match of the 2005 school year Thursday afternoon, hosting Thomasville in an early-season Area match-up.

Demopolis battled back from a two games to none deficit to win game 3 and looked ready to even the match at two when Thomasville stormed back from a double-digit deficit to take game 4 by a 25-23 score and claim the match.

In game 1, DHS struggled with their service as the visitors jumped out to a 7-3 and the n24-16 lead. Service runs of three and four points by Sara Davis and Kayla Langham, respectively, cut the deficit to 24-19 before Thomasville put the game away.

Game 2 was tighter, with DHS’s Christin Haisty making an emphatic spike to give DHS a 14-13 lead halfway through the game. Solid play by senior Shawnese Armstead tied the game at both 22 and 24 before another bad DHS serve opened the door for a 26-24 Thomasville game win.

Game 3, however, belonged to DHS from the get-go. Armstead dominated the early going with several unreturned serves and a series of saves, culminating with a reflex tip that landed just over the net and just in to give DHS a 12-4 lead. The lead grew as large as twelve before aces from Langham helped ice a 25-16 game win.

That momentum carried over into game 4 when it looked like DHS would force a decisive game 5, but it was not to be.

DHS’s next game is Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 5 p.m. at Greensboro.