It was a wet Wednesday, we were between football games, and there were no March Madness games on the tube, so what better time for a spirited volleyball match between an undefeated team and one with just one loss? Two hours later in the Riverheads gym, the Fort Defiance Lady Indians walked out with their unbeaten record still intact but not before there were a TON of lead changes and plenty of intense action.
As you guys know, I don't know the sport that well and I don't speak the language, so I can't dink and dive and dig and spike and pant and grate and hoot and root and bang and clang my way through this report, but hopefully I will be able to paint a picture of how competitive a match it really was. It almost makes you sad that when playoffs begin soon these two will be finished with each other for the season and will go their separate ways. However there is no doubt that each will go far in regional and possibly state playoff action.
The first set was a classic see-saw battle in which neither team ever led by more than four points. The Indians were leading 24-22 and ready to take the early lead when suddenly RHS came alive, scored the final four points and took the first set 26-24.
No doubt perturbed by that turn of events, the visitors then completely dominated the second set 25-11 to even things up.
In the third set, Riverheads grabbed the early advantage and with a 15-11 lead the Lady Gladiators appeared ready to take control of the match. But the Indians rallied to take their first lead at 16-15. Riverheads fought back however and forged ties at 16, 17, 18 and 19 before an Indian uprising saw the visitors surge ahead 22-19. After a Riverheads time-out, the teams traded points making it 23-20, before the Fort closed out a hard-fought 25-20 set.
With the Indians leading two sets to one, Riverheads was nowhere near ready to concede anything. Set number four featured ties at the first seven numbers before Riverheads finally broke that pattern and took a two-point lead at 9-7. As it turned out, they never relinquished that lead and with the home team ahead 13-9, the Fort called timeout. Riverheads however hung tough, stretched their advantage out to 17-11, and after the Indians crept back to within 22-18, closed out the set with three final points to win 25-18 and set the stage for a frantic deciding set.
Since I was relying on my four-inch phone screen, I could not tell much from body language, but it appeared as if the Indians came out fired up for that final set. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead but RHS tied it at 2-2. The Indians crept back ahead, leading by as many as three at 8-5 but a 5-1 Gladiator spurt gave them their first lead at 10-9.
Riverheads scored the next point also to make it 11-9, and then came the key point of the game, which I did not understand but whatever it was, it momentarily favored Riverheads but eventually led to the Indians final victory. Riverheads appeared to score the next point to make it 12-9, but there was apparently some question about it. The refs got together, usually a sign of good judgment on their part, and after a conference, did in fact award the point to the Gladiators.
Instead of that being the final piece of the puzzle that the Big Red needed to pull off the upset, it fired up the Indians who reeled off five points in a row to take a 14-12 lead. Riverheads rallied with one more point before the Fort closed it out at 15-13.
Definitely a classic match and again best wishes to both teams as they move into the playoffs. Hopefully this fall they can get re-acquainted in front of the packed houses that their quality of play deserves.
As you guys know, I don't know the sport that well and I don't speak the language, so I can't dink and dive and dig and spike and pant and grate and hoot and root and bang and clang my way through this report, but hopefully I will be able to paint a picture of how competitive a match it really was. It almost makes you sad that when playoffs begin soon these two will be finished with each other for the season and will go their separate ways. However there is no doubt that each will go far in regional and possibly state playoff action.
The first set was a classic see-saw battle in which neither team ever led by more than four points. The Indians were leading 24-22 and ready to take the early lead when suddenly RHS came alive, scored the final four points and took the first set 26-24.
No doubt perturbed by that turn of events, the visitors then completely dominated the second set 25-11 to even things up.
In the third set, Riverheads grabbed the early advantage and with a 15-11 lead the Lady Gladiators appeared ready to take control of the match. But the Indians rallied to take their first lead at 16-15. Riverheads fought back however and forged ties at 16, 17, 18 and 19 before an Indian uprising saw the visitors surge ahead 22-19. After a Riverheads time-out, the teams traded points making it 23-20, before the Fort closed out a hard-fought 25-20 set.
With the Indians leading two sets to one, Riverheads was nowhere near ready to concede anything. Set number four featured ties at the first seven numbers before Riverheads finally broke that pattern and took a two-point lead at 9-7. As it turned out, they never relinquished that lead and with the home team ahead 13-9, the Fort called timeout. Riverheads however hung tough, stretched their advantage out to 17-11, and after the Indians crept back to within 22-18, closed out the set with three final points to win 25-18 and set the stage for a frantic deciding set.
Since I was relying on my four-inch phone screen, I could not tell much from body language, but it appeared as if the Indians came out fired up for that final set. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead but RHS tied it at 2-2. The Indians crept back ahead, leading by as many as three at 8-5 but a 5-1 Gladiator spurt gave them their first lead at 10-9.
Riverheads scored the next point also to make it 11-9, and then came the key point of the game, which I did not understand but whatever it was, it momentarily favored Riverheads but eventually led to the Indians final victory. Riverheads appeared to score the next point to make it 12-9, but there was apparently some question about it. The refs got together, usually a sign of good judgment on their part, and after a conference, did in fact award the point to the Gladiators.
Instead of that being the final piece of the puzzle that the Big Red needed to pull off the upset, it fired up the Indians who reeled off five points in a row to take a 14-12 lead. Riverheads rallied with one more point before the Fort closed it out at 15-13.
Definitely a classic match and again best wishes to both teams as they move into the playoffs. Hopefully this fall they can get re-acquainted in front of the packed houses that their quality of play deserves.
