Winning After MidKnight
The
Middletown High School Knights Varsity Volleyball team had their work cut out
for them. Down two sets to the Maryland School for the Deaf Orioles in their
match on Tuesday September 13th and facing the task of having to win
three straight sets, Middletown faced a task that seemed very tough to imagine
against the top private school volleyball program in Western Maryland.
Even more
concerning for Middletown, is that they truly felt that coming into this
contest they had gotten a new sense of momentum after a solid performance at
the Mason-Dixon Invitational hosted by Westminster High School.
The one
benefit for Middletown was that both of the first two sets they had fallen in were
close sets as they lost those two by a score of 22-25 and 21-25 respectively.
This gave the
Knights hope that as long as they did a couple things differently, they would
have the ability to pick up wins in those sets.
The Knights
knew that they would have to dig their heels and create a comeback inch by inch
and starting with the third set Middletown would do just that and would almost
be able to complete the comeback falling to the Orioles in five sets.
Middletown
would begin to slowly chip away at the Orioles lead in the third set using a
the one-two punch of senior outside hitter Erika Pritchard and senior setter
Kelsey Buckley would lead the Knights comeback with their strong combination
with Buckley delivering the serves to Pritchard on a tee.
The combo of
Buckley and Pritchard would help the Knights get back into the match by winning
the third set by a 25-18 margin but Middletown would still have a challenge in
front of them as they would need to win the next two sets to pick up the win in
the match.
While the
third match was not a huge challenge for the Knights, the fourth set would be
the one that would wear the Knights down as the Orioles would do everything in
their power to end the match right there in the fourth set.
The Knights
would have none of it though as they would push and push late in the set
shutting down any rally by the Orioles and winning the fourth set, 27-25.
The fifth set
would not be as kind to the Knights as what clicked for the Orioles in the
first and second sets began to click again in the fifth set at the most crucial
time and the Orioles would jump out to a large lead in the fifth set
capitalizing with their serve and would not look back winning the fifth set by
an easy 15-5 margin and clinching the match.
The Knights comeback
was something to be admired as it appeared multiple times over the course of
the first two sets that the Orioles would stroll to a win. Still in the end it
will be frustrating for Middletown that the fifth sent went the way it did as
after a comeback in which the Knights managed to put the Orioles on the ropes,
Maryland School for the Deaf would be able to flip the course of the game in
the fifth set.
It wouldn’t
be all for naught for the Knights as the comeback will still provide them a
shot of momentum heading into their next contest against the Tuscarora High
School Titans.
Still, for
the Knights it was a comeback that proved the Knights can overcome a lot of
holes. Unfortunately, for the Knights, the Orioles found the only hole that
they left open.
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