The 7th/8th grade girls pulled out a gut wrenching and hard fought victory to punch their ticket to the volleyball championship.
They played their best game of the year when they needed it most and won in straight sets 25-22, 25-22.
It was back and forth the entire night and the girls just had enough gas left in the tank at the end of both sets to close out the other team.
Set number one got off to a good start as the girls built a slight advantage at 14-9. But from then on, it was neck and neck and the set was tied 22-22.
On serve receive, Isabella nearly took one right to her face as the ball glanced off near the top of her hand. Following the second hit, Isabella rebounded nicely and was able to put the ball back over to the other side.
Following a feel rallies, the other team's tip at the net was unsuccessful and the girls held a 23-22 lead.
Cynthia closed out the set with two straight nice serves to give the girls set one.
After falling behind 3-0, the 7th/8th graders bounced back to not just even it up, but break away in the second. Good solid serves, coupled with solid bumps, and overhand hits, the girls soon found themselves up 18-9.
In their meeting earlier this year, the 7th/8th graders nursed a 22-13 lead in the second set and wound up losing 25-22.
It almost happened again.
Point by point, the other team would catch up. Yes, the girls did have their share of breakdowns when they looked sloppy on the serve receives, but the other team played some real good volleyball as well.
They had one girl who pretty much controlled the net and was able to tip and hit the ball with ease. They also possessed a few girls who served really well overhand, but the 7th/8th graders caught a break when their overhand servers would occasionally fault, something the 7th/8th graders did not do.
Pretty soon it was all tied up at 22-22.
On serve receive, the girls were able to return it successfully, but the other team popped up a ball straight into the air on third contact.
Just like the first set, Cynthia stepped up to serve. Cool, calm and collective, she served up an ace to make it 24-22, and then closed it out with another serve, which the other team hit over the net, but out of bounds.
The 7th graders on the team, Cynthia and Isabella really stepped up their games tonight. Both were arguably the best two on the team on serves, and both bumped some really difficult balls up in the air for their teammates to hit back over.
In tonight's contest, the girls made the least mistakes out of any of their games this year and every point was crucial in upsetting the second seeded team on their home court.
One week from tonight, this team of mostly girls who have never played an official volleyball game until two months ago, will go for the title.
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