One Timeout. One Message. One Comeback. BELIEVE. Mt.Zion defeats Taylorville. -

Jack Hart | ILSportsWire

The rivalry was renewed Thursday night as the Mt. Zion Braves traveled to Taylorville to take on the Taylorville Tornadoes at the Dolph. In a back-and-forth battle filled with momentum swings, the Braves found a way to rally in the third set, earning a 17-25, 25-14, 25-23 victory to secure second place in the Apollo Conference.

Mt. Zion came out swinging in the opening set, with Gabby Wisher and Avelyn Ethell helping lead the Braves’ attack. The Braves battled throughout the set before Elise Mavis delivered a big-time block to seal a 25-17 win.

Taylorville responded in the second set, refusing to let the Braves take control of the match. Elsie Williamson and Molly Smith provided multiple points for the Tornadoes as they built momentum and evened the match with a convincing 25-14 victory.

The third set brought even more drama. Taylorville appeared to be in control, building a 19-12 advantage and putting the Braves on the brink of defeat. With her team searching for answers, Mt. Zion head coach Sams called a timeout and reminded her players that she believed in them.

The message resonated.

The Braves regrouped, battled back point by point and regained their composure when it mattered most. Mt. Zion completed the comeback with a 25-23 third-set victory, putting the finishing touches on a crucial conference win.

After the match, ILSportsWire’s Jack Hart caught up with Ethell and Coach Sams to discuss the comeback, the team’s chemistry and preparations for the postseason.

Ethell: Trusting Each Other Made the Difference

Ethell said both teams came into the rivalry matchup ready to compete, and Taylorville’s defensive effort made it difficult for the Braves to find their rhythm.

“It was a really great game,” Ethell said. “We came in knowing Taylorville was a good team, so we weren’t taking it lightly.”

She credited the Tornadoes for their scrappy play while emphasizing that Mt. Zion had to find a way to respond after losing momentum in the second set.

With the match slipping away in the third, Ethell said the Braves needed to refocus on what makes them successful.

“We just needed to trust each other more and just make sure that we were working well as our oiled machine,” Ethell said. “We needed to trust each other, know that we’re playing for the girl next to us and everyone on that team has our back.”

That renewed trust helped Mt. Zion complete the comeback and earn a significant late-season victory.

Now sitting at 22-9, the Braves are turning their attention toward the postseason, with every match serving as an opportunity to improve.

“Every single time we step on the court, it’s—you’re there. There’s a purpose,” Ethell said. “You’re trying to get better every single day. So even games like this, we’re taking something out of every single game, working towards that goal.”

Ethell also pointed to the team’s defensive improvement and growing chemistry as keys to its recent success.

“Bringing it every single day,” she said. “We’ve really worked on our defense and scrappiness. Working together has been our big thing.”

Coach Sams: “I Believed in Them”

For Coach Sams, Thursday night’s victory was about more than overcoming a seven-point deficit. It was about seeing her players trust their preparation and find the determination to finish the job.

Sams acknowledged that Taylorville made life difficult for the Braves, particularly with its defensive pressure and the challenges Mt. Zion faced in serve receive.

“Taylorville made it difficult for us. They took us out, serve receive. We did not pass very well,” Sams said. “But credit to Taylorville because they played lights out. Their defense made it hard for our hitters to find the open spots.”

Despite the struggles, Sams was proud of the way her team responded when the match was on the line.

“I’m really, really proud of my girls for finding the grit and determination to come from behind like that and take the momentum back on our side and not play tense, not play scared,” she said.

When Taylorville held a 19-12 lead in the third set, Sams delivered a simple message during the timeout.

“I told them I believed in them,” Sams said. “This is what all the preparation that we’ve done all summer long is for these moments right here.”

Sams also recognized that the Braves had briefly lost the team chemistry that has helped drive their success throughout the season.

She said the second set was one of the first times she had seen the team play more like six individuals than one cohesive unit.

Getting back to that collective effort proved to be the difference.

A Meaningful Conference Victory

The win carried additional significance for the Braves, who have now defeated Taylorville twice this season after previously struggling to get past the Tornadoes.

Sams said the victory should solidify Mt. Zion’s second-place finish in the Apollo Conference, making it a meaningful accomplishment for the team’s senior class.

“These seniors had never beaten Taylorville until we beat them at home,” Sams said. “And so for the seniors to go 2-0 with everything they’ve been through and everything they’ve given to me … it was pretty sweet winning tonight.”

With the postseason approaching, Sams believes the comeback will provide valuable confidence as the Braves prepare for regional play in Centralia.

The coach emphasized the importance of continuing to focus on one play at a time rather than looking too far ahead.

“Finding the way to dig out of a hole like that should give them a lot of confidence to know when the going gets tough, we can still persevere and come out on top,” Sams said.

For Mt. Zion, Thursday night’s rivalry victory was a test of resilience, trust and belief. Trailing by seven in the decisive set, the Braves refused to back down, rallied together and left Taylorville with a statement win as the postseason draws near.

The Braves now carry a 22-9 record and a major conference victory into the final stretch of the season, with momentum building at just the right time.