Hillsdale volleyball defeats Hillsdale Academy in cross-town showdown
HILLSDALE — After an easy first-set victory for coach Katherine Huffman and the Hillsdale Academy Colts, things looked more dead-even in the second set as Hillsdale led the Colts in the middle of the game. However, a string of missed opportunities rallied the Colts to a 2-0 set advantage over the Hornets heading into the mid-match break. The set scores were 25-21 and 25-23.
The Hornets and coach Cassandra Farmer have been working on building their confidence as a team and they would need every bit of their learned skills to rally in this cross-town showdown. Everything came together for the Hornets as they won three straight sets to defeat the Colts on the Academy court.
The third set would prove to be the major game-changer for the Hornets, whose middle blockers won at the net in head-to-head overpasses and blocks.
"That gave our defense the break they needed to bring back full-court coverage in the fourth and fifth set," Farmer said.
The Hornet defense, led by senior Shae Arnold and Chloe Manifold, was dynamic and helped the Hornets win the final three sets of the night by scores of 25-21, 25-19 and 15-9.
Karsyn Stebbins and Kailey Hendee stood out as leading hitters for the Hornets. It is one of the most impressive victories this season for the Hornets and arguably their largest statement win of the season.
The Colts struggled to match the Hornet pressure, but the Colts had individual efforts stand out during the game. Ava King had 22 kills, four aces and 12 digs. Angela Alvarez had 13 digs. Clara Heath had three aces, five kills, 35 assists and eight digs. Megan Roberts had eight kills. Natalie Spielman had five kills.
For the Hornets, Stebbins had 17 kills. Shae Arnold had 20 digs. Kailey Hendee had 18 digs. Megan Rufenacht had 19 digs. Addison Hoffman had 16 assists. Kelah Hodge had four solo blocks at the net.
The Colts drop to 16-7-1 on the year, but they will look to rebound with another home contest against the Waldron Spartans next Tuesday night. The Colts still remain a top team in the SCAA conference, and their non-conference loss to the Hornets should not set the team back in their pursuit of a division and league trophy.
The Hornets travel to Clinton High School to attempt to take down the Redwolves next week on Oct. 11. Matches start at 5:30 p.m. with J.V.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale defeats Hillsdale Academy in five-set volleyball classic
