Colonels edge Judges in 5 sets

By JERRY HOLSWORTH | Special to The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — There have been many memorable games in the nearly 70-year history of the rivalry between Handley and James Wood, but few could match the intensity of Thursday night’s girls’ volleyball match at James Wood High School.

There was never a moment in the five-set marathon where one team could rest on its laurels, and each set was a nail-biter from start to finish. In the end, the Colonels survived to win 3-2 (26-24, 18-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12).

“You really expect this kind of match when two teams like this get together,” Wood coach P.W. Hillyard said. “It was obvious that neither team wanted to lose, and we were very fortunate to win tonight.”

After a controversial call on a kill by Wood hitter Morgan Biggs sent the match to a fifth set, the stage was set for the most intense set of the night. It also paralleled the four previous sets where no lead was safe.

“It was really intense,” Colonels junior hitter Taylor Robinson said. “I thought at times we were a little bit nervous. But we came together as a team and were able to get the win. We knew that to have a chance we had to keep our head in the game when we were down.”

It was the Colonels who jumped out early in the tiebreaker thanks to a kill by Kristyna Van Sickler and a pair of kills by Jessica Putnam put Wood up 3-1. An ace by Biggs expanded the Colonels’ lead to 4-1.

Handley, however, was far from finished and roared back to tie the score 5-5 on a kill by Maggie Wise. Wood responded with kills by Gillian Kleiderlein, Van Sickler, and three miscues by the Judges that propelled the Colonels to what seemed like a commanding 10-6 lead.

Handley fought back desperately, and an ace and kill by Neysha Washington and another kill by Maggie Wise tied the score 12-12. It was the Judges last comeback though as Wood rallied with a kill by Putnam and an ace by Biggs to pull ahead 14-12. The Colonels got the set and match-winner when a return by the Judges failed to clear the net.

One thing that plagued Wood then entire night and made each set closer than it should have been was service errors. Wood committed 17 service errors, including two in the final set that nearly gave Handley the match.

The first set was a perfect example of how Wood’s inconsistent serving made things difficult for them and aided the Judges

The Colonel jumped out to an early lead in the opening set, but Handley managed to stay within striking distance. Three service errors allowed the Judges to narrow Wood’s lead to 12-11 midway through the set.

Handley kept up the pressure and were able to tied the score 24-24. When a pair of Handley returns sailed short and wide, the Colonels were able to survive and take the win.

The Colonels, however, weren’t able to survive their mistakes at the service line in the second set. The Judges, thanks to brilliant play at the net by Wise, Reese Walker and Catlin Varela jumped ahead early and maintained a narrow lead throughout the second set. Wood was never able to recover thanks to five service errors during the set, including three during the last seven exchanges.

Handley jumped ahead early in the third set and held on after several determined Colonel rallies. An ace by Robinson late in the set tied the scored 21-21 but a kill by Chloe Putnam and a pair of miscues by the Colonels gave Handley a 2-1 lead in sets.

Wood’s response in the fourth set was probably the most brilliant performance by either team during the match.

Although the Colonels took an early 1-0 lead, Handley quickly recovered and jumped had 5-2. From that point, the Judge held tenaciously to a narrow lead until the final exchanges of the set.

With the score tied 20-20, back-to-back aces by Yeakley Pullen sparked a 5-0 run that gave Wood the win. The set ended on the most controversial call of the night when kill by Biggs was ruled long. After a discussion by the officials, the ruling was reversed, giving the Colonels the win.

“We had to come together as a team,” Pullen said. “It was really great to play a match against such great competition. This can only help us get better moving forward.”

Several Wood players had a good night at the net. Jessica Putnam led the way with 16 kills and an ace. VanSickler had 10 kills, and Biggs had nine kills, a block , and three aces.

“I am very happy with the way we played tonight,” Hillyard said. “They’ve shown a lot of perseverance so far this season. Coach Cole does a really good job of preparing her team. They were ready to play tonight, and gave us a real battle.”

Handley was led by Wise who had 20 kills. Washington had seven kills, and three aces for the Judges. Chloe Putnam had four kills, and two blocks.

“This was a really great match,” Handley coach Lindsay Cole said. “Everyone who came tonight really got their money’s worth. This match is something we can build on. The way we battled back-and -forth shows what this team is capable of.