After dropping a tightly contested opening set, the Mt. Zion Braves responded with two strong performances to rally past the Decatur Unity Christian Lions in a three-set varsity volleyball battle Tuesday night.
Unity Christian edged Mt. Zion 27-25 in the opening set, but the Braves answered by taking the second set 25-20 before finishing the comeback with a 25-21 victory in Set 3.
The opening frame immediately showed how competitive the matchup would be. Neither side was able to put the other away in regulation, forcing the set beyond the 25-point mark. Unity Christian eventually found the final two points it needed, escaping with a 27-25 victory and putting Mt. Zion in an early 1-0 hole.
Instead of allowing the narrow loss to carry over, the Braves regrouped.
Mt. Zion established more control during the second set, turning the momentum in its favor and creating enough separation down the stretch to secure a 25-20 victory. The response evened the match at one set apiece and forced a deciding third.
With the match on the line, the Braves continued to apply pressure. Unity Christian remained within striking distance and refused to allow Mt. Zion to pull away easily, but the Braves maintained their composure late and closed out the Lions 25-21 to complete the comeback.
Mt. Zion received contributions throughout its lineup, including seniors Kendall Smith, Avelyn Ethell, Tinlee Ford, Catelyn Crafton, Lyla Swartz, Tinley Ditty, Jillian Durbin and Bella Rhoades, along with a group of underclassmen that helped the Braves settle in after the opening-set loss.
The Braves’ defensive effort was especially important as the match progressed. Avelyn Ethell was active in the back row throughout the night, while players including Lyla Swartz, Bella Rhoades and Catelyn Crafton also contributed in serve receive and defensively. Mt. Zion’s work at the net was spread throughout the lineup as well, helping slow a Unity Christian attack that had been effective enough to capture the opening set.
Unity Christian had several productive performances of its own. Laila Turner recorded 10 kills, while Mallory Harrison finished with seven and Cameron Brown added four. The Lions also generated several blocks and continued challenging the Braves through all three sets.
But after being two points away from taking the opener themselves, Mt. Zion responded exactly as it needed to. The Braves won each of the final two sets by increasingly controlling longer stretches of play, turning a one-set deficit into a 2-1 match victory.
For Mt. Zion, the win showcased the team’s ability to respond to adversity. Rather than allowing a 27-25 opening-set defeat to dictate the rest of the night, the Braves stayed composed, made the necessary adjustments and finished the match by winning two consecutive sets.
FINAL: Mt. Zion def. Decatur Unity Christian, 2-1
Set 1: Unity Christian 27, Mt. Zion 25
Set 2: Mt. Zion 25, Unity Christian 20
Set 3: Mt. Zion 25, Unity Christian 21
