LEBANON, Va. (Aug. 24, 2026) – The Lady Pioneers opened the 2026 volleyball season on Monday at Charles C. Long Gymnasium. Lebanon defeated Holston 3-0, though the Cavaliers put up a strong fight in each set.
Jaidyn Fields led the way as the Pioneers won the nail-biter 27-25, 25-21, 27-25.
“It was an amazing first win,” Jaidyn Fields noted. “We came right out of the gate. That’s a great way to start the season. It was a little rocky. We struggled a few times, but hey, this is our first time playing together. It was a good win for all of us.”
Jaidyn Fields tallied 14 kills and 10 assists for Lebanon.
“Jaidyn is a four-year veteran,” said Lebanon coach Dennis Price. “She’s been with me for four straight years. Jaidyn knows what it takes. She knows what we’ve got to do to get there. Jaidyn leads by example, is very positive, a good leader, and a heck of a player.
“She can play any position on the floor. Wherever I put her, she knows how to play. I’m thankful to have Jaidyn. I thought she did a great job tonight.”
Set one was tied 10 times with seven lead changes. The Cavaliers were up 25-24, one point away from the win, on serve. A service error to tie the score was their undoing. Holston was called for a carry, and Kaytie Lampkin ended it with a block to give Lebanon the set.
“I felt like I was playing behind the whole night,” declared Price. “When we took the lead, we held them off. But Holston played smart. They kept the ball in play and did a good job defensively digging it up. We struggled a little bit.”
The Cavs rolled out to a 10-4 advantage in set two. The Pioneers kept their composure and took the lead at 13-12 and never relinquished it.
“The new girls stepped up, especially on the front line,” remarked Fields. “Abby (Mullins) and Raelynn (Huff) showed out. I was proud of everyone because I know the first game can be really scary. That was me once, and I was so scared.”
Holston again led most of the way in set three. The Cavs held a 16-11 lead.
“We took a lot of timeouts, and Coach Price regrouped with us,” Fields said. “He gathered us all together, and we realized we don’t need to be losing right now. This isn’t us. Coach helped us during the timeouts, talked some confidence into us, and then we went back out there and did our thing.”
The Pioneers rallied down the stretch for the sweep.
“We were right there in every set,” Holston coach Jason Delp stated. “I told our girls there after one of those sets, we’ve been in a lot of these with teams that people kind of count us out on. We’ve been in a lot of these, and we rarely win them – we’re close. It’s just a matter of time until we break through, but these girls have come a long way.”
Bailee Singleton pounded 10 kills and also led the defense with 16 digs. Desk verify stat lines for both teams. Haleigh Dutton distributed 14 assists.
“My girls play awfully hard,” commented Delp. “There’s nobody who plays any harder than us. We’re getting there, learning to play with each other. We graduated several. We’ve got a couple of freshmen out there playing a lot and contributing. It’s just one of those deals. When we get it all together, at some point this season, we’re definitely going to be a team to be reckoned with.”
The Cavs are close. What will it take to get them over the hump?
“The girls need to believe in themselves more now than they ever have,” Delp stated. “I think we’ve had teams in the past that really felt like they could win. But I think this team is starting to feel that way when they walk into a gym. At some point, they’re going to feel like they’re the team to beat. And when they get to that point– we’re going to be a dangerous team.”
In addition to Jaidyn Fields for Lebanon, Lampkin and Rhealyn Barton added four kills each. Carlee Ingram totaled 17 assists. Libero Kenlie Fields powered the defense with 30 digs.
“I felt our backline players played well,” remarked Price. “We graduated almost our entire backline from last year. I thought they did a great job in the first game. We’ve got a long way to go. We’ll just keep at it and see how it goes.”
