John Bruce, Man About Town
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by Holzer Health System.
HILLSBORO — Two weeks ago, Hillsboro was playing is best volleyball of the season.
The Indians had won six consecutive matches at that time, but then hit a bump in the road, dropping two straight matches in Frontier Athletic Conference play.
Fairfield was heading in a different direction, riding high after snapping North Adams’ 48-game SHAC winning streak this past Friday.
Both teams continued that most recent run of momentum early in the match as the Lions rode the attacking ability of Remi Moon, along with aggressive service to take a 2-0 match advantage.
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
However, Hillsboro found its rhythm again, seizing momentum in the third and rallying to snatch an impressive five-set win over Fairfield by an 18-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-17, 15-12 final.
“I would say that, in the first two sets, that it’s not the same team that normally shows up and plays,” Hillsboro head coach Heather Jones said of her team’s slow start. “Coming off the long weekend and not having practice, it did not start well. But, they were able to pull it together.”
While the service of Alyssa Bales, Addison Cannon and Moon secured aces for the Lions in those opening two sets, the Indians (13-5) flipped the script throughout the remainder of the match.
Hillsboro’s Josie Rhoades began the third with consecutive aces before Fairfield’s service fell apart with multiple errors to help the Indians take a lead early in the game that they wouldn’t relinquish.
An ace from Macy Fauber sparked the Indians to run away with a 25-17 set victory, cutting the match deficit to 2-1.
Another major key of that third-set win was Hillsboro’s ability to block the ball at the net.
With Fairfield using Moon on the attack, the Lions (13-4) dominated the opening two games. Once the Indians were able to make correct defensive adjustments, they were able to at least slow Moon down a little.
“Our defense was huge, especially for running our offense,” Jones said of her team’s defensive effort. “We want a touch on every single ball, so that way we can run our offense. We struggled with getting our timing down to slow [Moon] early, but when we got into the third set, our timing was on and we slowed her down a little. She was making smart moves after seeing the blocks, but our back row was ready for those, too.”
The Lions roared out to 7-2 lead in the fourth, but Hillsboro bounced back behind Tylee Davis on the outside, alongside with strong blocks up front from Marianne Mycroft and Riley Pence.
Eventually, Fairfield temporarily retook the lead with a pair of blocks from Bailey Jones, but the attack of Davis, Pence and Ryan Wagoner was too much for the Lions to overcome as the Indians drew even in the match with a 25-17 win, setting the stage for an exciting fifth and final go-around.
Hillsboro looked to put the match away early in the fifth, forcing a timeout after a crosscourt kill from Davis pushed the lead to 6-1. Another point and a service error came, allowing Moon to put down a pair of kills and, eventually, Fairfield brought the set even after the Indians couldn’t handle a serve from Cannon.
The two traded points until a teardrop from Moon evened the set at 11-11, and drew a timeout from Hillsboro.
Out of the break, Fairfield took their first — and only — lead of the set following a hitting error from the Indians. With a 12-11 lead, the Lions looked to pounce, but Pence elevated high above the net for an impactful block, tying the match once more.
A net infraction was followed by a smooth drop shot from Wagoner to bring about match point.
The win was capped off by Hillsboro setter Emmalee Young, setting to the open floor beyond the Lion blockers to earn a 15-12 victory.
Hillsboro followed the win with a sweep of Washington on Tuesday. The group will now look towards another league matchup on Thursday, traveling to McClain.
The Indians will next host Washington on Tuesday on Senior Night, in a chance to honor their impressive group of six seniors.
“I feel like we have been the comeback team,” Jones said of her team’s resilience. “A lot of times, they come back together at the last minute, which gives me ulcers, but they do a good job of it and I’m very proud of them.”
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