The Hilltoppers took on the Union Farmers across all levels on Friday Night Spikes. The 9th Grade Team took care of business in set 1 with a tight victory sporting a revamped lineup due to an injury to Sophie Meltzer. Set 2 was a rather different story as the Farmers came back on the Top and forced a set 3 with a late surge. The deciding set 3 was a classic with SHS down as many as 6 points early but made a furious comeback to steal the victory from the Union squad and improve to 8-1.
JV use timely hitting and clutch serving to score a 2-0 victory over the Union Farmers to improve to 11-3. The #4 Seed in Union County opened up a 7-0 lead behind Gabby Nowicka's service run and used that cushion to keep the Union Farmers at bay through 6 rotations as the scoreboard read 16-11 at the conclusion of those rotations. But the Farmers took advantage of Summit's service errors in rotations 7 and 8 to go on a 7-3 run that had the Union squad breathing down the Hilltoppers' neck at 19-18. A service break occurred opening the door for Molly Davies and Kate Cooper to give SHS some room which they did off the service line, giving the home side a 24-20 lead that spelled the end of the Union comeback one rotation later at 25-20 SHS.
Set 2 was a very closely fought game with both sides not allowing the other to go on any major run. Through 6 rotations Union had managed to earn a 14-11 lead but Liv Ge sparked the Top with a 2-0 mini run that got SHS back in the set at 13-14. But it wasn't until rotation 8 when Cooper came up to serve at 15-15 that the game was decided. Cooper yet again ripped the Farmers open with serving pressure as the DS notched 6 service points (2 aces) to blow open the set and match at 21-15. It was all academic after that rotation as both squads traded points over the next 3 rotations but SHS just needed 4 and they got them all to win the set and match 25-18.
Varsity played in a packed house as many students and parents showed up at Friday Night Spikes to watch Varsity versus Union. Ms. Grimaldi and Ms. Aaron were seen in the stands as part of the Hilltopper Fan Base adding to the great atmosphere of the event. Boosters' cheer paraphernalia was seen in the hands of the parent fan base and others in attendance so all was set for a great match. It did live up to its billing!
One of the only 2 losses on the year was against the Farmers on the road. The squad knew the home match would be difficult and the Union team made its point early with a quick 4-0. to open the match. The home side cut into the small lead but the Farmers kept the Hilltoppers at bay holding a 7-4 lead despite a Hannah Barlow tip kill and ace to cut a 6-2 lead down to 2. Vivian Roberts struck for one of her 15 kills at that point and followed that up with a block and after a Farmer error, Summit had knotted the score at 7. By rotation 6, as Roberts served, SHS had flipped the score after a Barlow kill which had the Hilltoppers up 10-9. A quick service error and 2 Union aces had the Farmers in control at 12-10 but another quick run by Summit had the home team tied up at 12-12. The squads traded mini runs through the next rotation and with the score 15-14 Farmers, the visitors ripped a 3-0 run (2 aces) which forced a TO by Coach Martins. A halt in action did nothing to stem the tide as the Farmers got 2 more points before SHS was able to respond. A 20-14 deficit proved to be too much for the Top as Union took step one into handing Summit its very first loss on home floor.
The pressure was on for the home side but early on it looked like the Hilltoppers would respond well to it as the squad took a 3-2 deficit and turned it into a 4-0 run (Barlow ace, Roberts kill, Webb block) to flip the score to 6-3 SHS. Union cut the lead down to one but Alison Wauters got a kill and nailed two aces to expand the lead to 10-5 and force a Union TO. The pause did little to slow down the Top and after Julia Nardino got a slide kill out of the middle, SHS was up 13-7. Union needed a run but it would not get it over the next 2 rotations as mistakes on both sides negated every momentum shift so the squad still trailed SHS 15-10 until rotation eight. The visitors got a 3-0 run and suddenly whatever good feeling Summit had enjoyed seemed to be long gone. SHS responded well though with a 4-1 run (Wauters kill, Barlow kill and ace) had the Hilltoppers up by 5 again at 19-14. Roberts added a kill of her own and Barlow followed it up with another ace and Summit seemed to be on their way to a set victory with a 21-14 lead which forced a Farmer TO. Then, things got scary.
Union ripped an 8-1 run forcing Coach into a TO with a slim 1 point lead but the TO did little to the Union momentum as the Farmers got a hitting error by the Top and the score thus was tied at 22. Set in jeopardy, match in jeopardy, Division Title in jeopardy.
And then an unlikely play occurred. Summit gave a free ball up to the Farmers with their best hitter in the front row. The ball went to the MB as expected but Zoe Zacharias rose to the occasion and blocked the Union attack to give the Hilltoppers a 23-22 lead. The explosion of emotion was palpable and when Roberts got the kill to put SHS up 24-22 which led to the Abby Thompson ace at set point, the place went loud!
Summit opened the decisive set with the serve. The set was very tight early on and Summit held a miniscule 7-6 lead through 4 rotations. A Union service error, a free ball error and a kill by Roberts had the Top up 10-6 but then the wheels fell off the Hilltopper machine. Union ran off an 8-2 run to take control of the set 14-12 and force Coach into a TO. Two more Farmer points, another Martins TO. This time the Top responded to the adversity with Barlow ripping a kill into the seam which had Wauters all pumped up and even more excited after a dump kill by the senior OPP to give SHS a shot, down only 15-16. Union got a kill to stifle momentum but the Top responded with a 2 Roberts kills, a Webb block and an ace by Barlow had the place jumping with the Summit crew up 19-18. The TO was expected but the response was not from a Farmer perspective. Roberts struck again from the OH spot with a shot to zone 1 and followed it up with a dump kill to force another Union TO trailing 23-18. It seemed inevitable now. Wauters struck for a kill to zone 6 and followed it up with a down ball spot kill for the win and the guaranteed Divisional Title the program had been chasing for 11 years!
Match Statistical Leaders:
Serving: Barlow 6 aces
Serve Rating: Thompson 2.44
Receiving (Perfect Passes): Barlow 12
Receiving (Pass Rating): Barlow 2.25
Attack (Kills): Roberts 15
Attack (Kill %): Roberts 50.0%
Attack (Efficiency): Roberts .333
Defense (Blocks): Webb 5
Defense (Digs): Barlow 6
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