MEDORA
In their first two matchups of the season, the Medora and Crothersville volleyball teams went the distance.
Thursday’s matchup was much of the same, with the visiting Tigers pulling out a 25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-13 victory against the Hornets.
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In the fifth set, both teams traded points all the way up to 13-13.
A hit from the Tigers’ Lacey Hall gave her team the 14-13 lead before Katrina Christian came up with a match winning kill.
“I think we just outlasted them,” Tigers coach Linda Luedeman said. “It’s always a good match between our two schools. Tonight proved that again. It’s always fun to watch them and exciting to play Jackson County teams.”
In the first set, the Tigers and Hornets exchanged the lead.
Up 13-10, the Tigers’ Brittany Clem served up four-straight winning points to give her team the slight lead.
The Hornets climbed back up, but Christian delivered a set-winning kill at 24-22.
At the start of the second set, both teams struggled from the back line as they combined for seven serving errors.
The Hornets were able to establish a 13-8 lead after a hit from Megan Weddell, but the Tigers never went away.
Down 24-16, the Tigers were able to win five-straight points to save set point.
However, following a timeout by Hornets coach Sara Todd, the home team claimed the set by forcing a Tigers error.
The Tigers built a 7-2 lead early in the third set, but would lose the lead on a serving error at 18-18.
Back-to-back kills from the Tigers’ Lacey Hall put her team up 22-21, and Maddie Riley came up with a kill at 24-21 to secure the third set.
Not to be outdone, the Hornets traded leads with the Tigers three times until building a 12-7 lead in the fourth set.
At 22-all, the Tigers committed a serving error and the Hornets capitalized by taking the next two points to force a fifth set.
“We were out our middle hitter so we had to move Junior varsity girls up, and they did a great job. In all three matches it’s been close,” coach Todd said. “There were a couple little mistakes we had but we picked it up and the serves and defense got better. The girls got back and I don’t think you can get much closer than that.”
The Tigers (7-12) beat the Hornets (6-14) all three times this season, and the two could face each other again in the sectional.