Summit was finishing this long week of volleyball with their 4th consecutive match versus the Dragons of Kent Place. Summit was looking to bounce back from their tough loss at Union and regain footing in the conference. With a win, the Hilltoppers would cap one of the toughest weeks competitively in recent history with matches versus teams the squad had not beaten in literally an average of a decade (SPF, Union and Kent Place). The Raiders were a surprise upset and Union survived the Hilltopper attack. Could Summit cap off the week with another surprising win? And could Vivian Roberts hit 9 kills to reach the 300 kill mark and become only the 3rd player in Lady Hilltopper history to reach that milestone?
The match began as advertised with SHS trailing the Dragons 4-6 as the Dragon serve attack was proving to be difficult for the Top early on, a sign of things to come. Roberts got a couple of kills to help the Summit side to an 8-7 lead but Kent Place broke serve to knot the set at 8. Roberts got the serve back with another kill and then ripped two aces to push the lead to 11-8. The Dragons tied it up at 11 but SHS reacted again to the move with another 3-0 run (Roberts kill, Cece Webb block). The visitors crawled back to within one but the Hilltoppers went on another 3-0 run with Hannah Barlow ripping an ace to push the lead to 18-14. Seeing the set get away from them, Kent Place called a TO.
The Dragons came off the TO and broke serve immediately but the 3 point lead stayed steady with the score 21-18. A serving error by the Top gave the Dragons hope at 21-19 but Roberts smoked another kill to get the lead back up to 3 and then the team followed up with a 2-0 run that saw Barlow power a kill to force a KP TO at 24-19 Summit. Zoe Zacharias remained unflinching off the TO and served a tough serve that led to a set ending Alison Wauters kill to finish off the Dragons in set 1.
Set 2 started off rather well for the Top with the home side jumping off to a 3-1 lead with Barlow notching a kill and Julia Nardino getting a stuff block. But Kent Place fought back using their serving attack and rattled off a 12-1 run that ballooned their lead to 13-4 lead. The set, much like the Union match, seemed over for the Top. But within 2 rotations, Summit responded with a 6-1 run thanks to a Barlow kill and Roberts with her 300th kill!!!!!!
SHS called a TO to have a mini celebration for the senior Captain before resuming the match and hoping the emotional moment would spur the home side to a comeback win. Kent Place struggled to break momentum and before the smoke cleared, SHS had gotten back to within 4 at 14-10. Webb and Roberts combined in the next rotation for 2 kills and the Dragons began to show cracks as Summit saw the score flip to 12-15. SHS needed a longer run though and down 17-12, they got one.
It started with consistent serving by Yarden. This allowed the defense to step in and the offense to come to life. A tip kill by Roberts began the run and then followed up with a blast down the line as KP struggled to get any offense going and after it was all said and done, SHS had fought back to an 18-18 score. When Roberts and Barlow combined for 2 kills to give the Summit side a 20-18 lead, it looked like the demons of the Union match had been exercised but, that was not the case.
A serving error began the demise. Then a KP ace followed. A Dragon service error followed and despite an overpass by the Green and White, SHS tipped wide to get the score knotted at 21. KP kill, KP ace, KP kill and a final Summit error on offense sealed the set win for the Dragons, 25-21.
Was this going the route of the Union match? Was Summit going to lose in consecutive matches after leading in set 2?
To say the third set was a battle is an understatement. FIFTEEN tied scores, six lead changes in this deciding set in which both teams were unable to get more than a couple of points away from their opponent. With the score 15-17 Dragons after a passing error by the Top, Roberts took over with two kills after key passes and serves by Barlow and Wauters. Roberts struck again with Summit down 18-17 after a perfect pass by Barlow smothered a blistering KP serve. A long rally followed that went the Dragons' way but Wauters was again solid on serve receive and it offered Nardino an opportunity to attack. The lengthy junior did not get the kill but stepped up on a thunderous middle attack and stuff blocked KP's power hitter to tie up the score 19-19. Roberts then delivered from the service line, much like she had against Union, and powered 2 aces past the helpless receive unit of the Dragons forcing a KP TO. The break in action served its purpose in creating a service error and the visitors tied up the score on the next rally but Barlow powered through a kill off the KP block after a Roberts perfect serve reception to give Summit a 22-21 lead. Zacharias has been really steady from the service line and she delivered again in the clutch. Caroline Henry started the 3rd set and got a crucial dig off an OH attack that had Barlow up in the air for another rip. This time though the visitors kept it alive and sent a half speed attack to Zacharias in the hope of taking the setter out of the play. The ball was dug by the setter perfectly in the hitting path of Wauters who took no chances and swung immediately to the surprise of the Dragons to push the score to 23-21 Summit and the last KP TO. Zacharias again served perfectly in a clutch situation and forced the Dragons into a hitting error which gave the Top 3 match points. Summit gave up the first one on a dump error but Barlow got the perfect set on the last ball and split the block for the match point and kill to give the Hilltoppers a once in a decade moment of a win versus the Dragons.
Match Statistical Leaders:
Serving: Roberts 4 aces, 2.20 rating
Receiving (Perfect Passes): Henry 6
Receiving (Pass Rating): Henry and Wauters 2.00
Attack (Kills): Roberts 18
Attack (Kill %): Roberts 46.2%
Attack (Efficiency): Roberts .410
Defense (Blocks): Nardino, Barlow 2
Defense (Digs): Barlow 15
3W-1L FOR THE WEEK, 3 Teams ranked higher than SHS in njpowerranking at the beginning of the week.
KILLS BLOCKS ACES PTS SERVE ERR HIT ERR
SHS 95 12 38 145 37 28
OPPON. 69 12 34 115 29 40
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