Mt. Zion and Sacred Heart-Griffin battled through three competitive sets Wednesday night, with the Braves taking the opener before the Cyclones responded to earn a 20-25, 25-23, 25-21 victory at Mt. Zion High School.
Both teams entered the matchup with momentum after earning straight-set victories Tuesday night. Mt. Zion had defeated Effingham 25-19, 25-12, while SHG swept Lanphier 25-7, 25-6.
Mt. Zion carried its momentum into Wednesday’s opening set. The Braves established the early advantage and held off the Cyclones for a 25-20 win, putting themselves one set away from the victory.
SHG answered in a much tighter second set. The Braves stayed within striking distance throughout the frame, but the Cyclones were able to secure the final points and edge Mt. Zion 25-23, evening the match at one set apiece.
That sent the teams to a decisive third set, where another close battle developed. Mt. Zion continued to challenge SHG, but the Cyclones were able to create enough separation late to take the set 25-21 and complete the comeback.
Mt. Zion received contributions throughout its lineup. Mya Cully handled a significant portion of the Braves’ setting duties while also contributing offensively, and Kendall Smith was involved both as a setter and attacker. Gabby Wisher, Lyla Swartz, Catelyn Crafton, Bella Rhoades, Jillian Durbin, Tinlee Ford and Avelyn Ethell also contributed across the three-set match.
The Braves’ stat sheets showed several players making an impact defensively as well. Catelyn Crafton recorded six digs, while Lyla Swartz added seven and Kendall Smith finished with eight. Mya Cully added four digs, with Mt. Zion needing contributions across the floor against an SHG team that continued applying pressure after dropping the first set.
For Sacred Heart-Griffin, the victory came through its ability to respond. The Cyclones faced a 1-0 deficit after the opener and then had little margin for error in either of the final two sets. SHG won those frames by just two and four points, respectively, to complete the comeback.
Mt. Zion, meanwhile, was within four points or fewer in each of the sets it dropped. After controlling the opener, the Braves remained competitive through the remainder of the night but couldn’t quite find the final push needed to put away a strong SHG squad.
The result snapped Mt. Zion’s five-match winning streak, which the Braves had carried into Wednesday’s contest.
FINAL: Sacred Heart-Griffin def. Mt. Zion, 2-1
Set 1: Mt. Zion 25, SHG 20
Set 2: SHG 25, Mt. Zion 23
Set 3: SHG 25, Mt. Zion 21
