BETHEL —
For the first two games, it looked as if the Palestine volleyball team might sweep ninth-ranked Cayuga Tuesday at Cayuga High School.
In the third and fourth games, it looked as if Cayuga was going to follow through on its amazing comeback.
In the end, it was Palestine that needed the comeback, as the Ladycats came back from down 7-2 in the match’s final set to win it, 16-14, and capture the match, 3-2 (25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 12-25, 16-14).
“I think it says a lot about their character, coming back for the win,” PHS coach Lisa Hampton said of her team. “That’s something we didn’t have last year, we had no desire to win.”
Palestine trailed throughout the final set, and when Cayuga took that five-point lead, things looked about over.
But, Palestine fought back, slowly cutting the lead down until a kill from Karisma Smith knotted things at 11-11.
Cayuga again pulled away, though, behind kills from Danielle Anderson and Shawnta Knox, taking a 13-11 lead.
After Cayuga then hit the ball out, Palestine found itself one point away from a loss when Palestine hit the ball out.
But, Knox’s ensuing serve was out, and in the following play Anderson sent a kill wide to even things at 14-14.
Palestine then got a kill, and Cayuga’s kill attempt on the next play went wide to clinch the win for Palestine.
“They were flat. They were flat yesterday in practice too,” CHS coach Magen Humphreys said. “I don’t know (why).”
Palestine took Game 1 with relative ease, taking a lead halfway through the game and never looking back.
Game 2 was more of a battle, with Cayuga taking an early 12-4 lead behind the serve of Cory McCulloch. But, Palestine answered with a 7-0 run behind the serve of Dana Whitehead to get itself back into the match.
Knox tallied a kill to tie the game at 18-18, but Palestine pulled away from there, winning seven of the game’s final nine points and clinching the game on an ace by Alana Whitehead for the 2-0 match lead.
“We (show) more teamwork now than last year. It’s just a lot different from last year,” said Dana Whitehead, who added that she was kind of speechless about the win.
Cayuga answered, opening Game 3 with a 6-1 lead, a lead it would stretch to 14-7 in the ensuing play.
Palestine, to its credit, again battled back, tying the game at 16-16 on another ace by Alana Whitehead.
Anderson gave Cayuga a two-point lead at 18-16 with her kill, but Dana Whitehead answered two points later with one of her own to tie the game once again.
Cayuga finally pulled away after kills from Anderson and Knox gave the Ladycats a 23-22 lead, and Cayuga closed it out from there.
Game 4 was never in doubt, as Cayuga rode Anderson to an easy win. The junior middle blocker carried the offense in the game for Cayuga, as it never led by less than seven after taking an early 8-1 lead.
“Especially with Shawnta coming off of an injury, she has to step up and become a leader for this team,” Humphreys said of her big middle blocker. “She’s our go-to person right now, so she has to learn to keep her legs underneath her.”
Dana Whitehead led all players in the match with 17 kills, while Smith pitched in six and Nai’koshia Handsborough had three.
“She was all over the place,” Hampton said of Dana Whitehead. “Her and her twin sister (Alana Whitehead) both, excellent players. She kept us in it.”
Alana Whitehead had seven assists to lead Palestine, while Gigi Spreen had six.
Anderson had 15 kills to lead Cayuga, who also got seven from Knox and four each from Mary Davis and Meagan Polland.
Molly Griffey had 17 assists, but sat most of Game 4 and all of Game 5 with an injury.
Palestine opens up play in the Grapeland tournament Thursday, while Cayuga travels to Van for tournament play Thursday as well.
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Coaches and or team representatives are encouraged to call in scores and stats to 903-729-0281 ext. 242 by 9 p.m. after games, or email sports@palestineherald.com
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