Mattoon, Ill. – Just when Lake Land seemed to have undefeated Wabash Valley on the ropes, the volleyball Warriors found a way to regroup, to win a decisive Game Five and the Great Rivers Athletic Conference match on Thursday night.
For that, WVC is 4-0 for the first time since resuming the program three years ago after a 15-year absence. The Warriors also have first place in the league to themselves, at 2-0. Lake Land fell to 5-4 and 2-1 with the loss.
After Wabash Valley had won the first two sets, 25-15 and 25-17 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match, things looked good.
Or so it thought.
Even tied 16-16 in the third set, Warrior coach Mark Colvin said that's "where we usually take off and finish teams off."
But on this night, the Lakers went on a 9-5 march to take the third set, 25-19, and stay alive in the match.
The fourth game was in Colvin's words, "a half marathon" unto itself. Never a separation between the two teams of more than five points, the Lakers prevailed, 29-27, to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
At that point, "we were doubting ourselves a little bit," according to Colvin, yet managed an "almost flawless game" in the finale.
WVC left little doubt, winning 15-7 to take the match.
Colvin said the big difference from last year is in the way his team has handled situations just like that. Last year, the Warriors were 3-5 in Fifth Set games. This year, they are 3-0.
"Of course, we would prefer to win in three games, but it is what it is," Colvin said.
Malena Bixby had a big night for the Warriors. She had 11 kills in the match, along with four blocks, 18 digs, and three aces at the service line.
Jacklyn Simms added eight kills. Caelyn Nelson led the team in digs with 25.
Kassidy Drone had 25 assists in the win, with Valerie Ramos Allende adding 18. Ramos also served up three aces.
The Warriors have two games left on their current three-game road trip. On Monday, they play at Kaskaskia (4-1, 1-0) in a game rescheduled from Feb. 9. The first serve will be at 6:30 p.m.
The next WVC home game is not until Feb. 25, when Lincoln Trail (0-3, 0-0) calls at Spencer Sports Center.