Medina spikers last ditch rally nips R-H

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Je’ne Brown spikes over Roy-Hart’s Maddie Ciemny during the Mustangs wild win over the host Lady Rams this evening.

Putting together an amazing last ditch rally, Medina battled back from a 7 point deficit late in the final set to outlast host Roy-Hart 27-25, 23-25, 25-17, 19-25, 27-25 in a wild early season Niagara-Orleans League volleyball match this evening.

Facing set and match point, Medina rallied from a 24-17 deficit to claim the decisive final set in dramatic overtime fashion.

Elle Gross served up eight straight pressure points (18-25) to rally Medina into a 25-24 lead.  Je’ne Brown, who had a total of 25 spiking kills on the night, had kills for points 19, 20, 21 and 25, and Di’vere Brown chipped in with a kill for point 24 during that clutch run.

Roy-Hart pulled even at 25-25 on a side out but the Mustangs kept the momentum earning point 26 on another kill by Je’ne Brown and the set and match winning 27th point on an ace by Kharise Johnson.

“It was incredible,” said Medina Coach Tim Lincoln of the dramatic late rally.

Roy-Hart’s Kristina Burdick bump sets at the net.

Gross, Di’vere Johnson and Maddie Williams each had 5 kills and Johnson 3 on the night for the Mustangs.

Aspen Moore had a total of 22 kills for Roy-Hart including 4 in the final set to help the Lady Rams build up as much as a 24-16 lead..

Medina also took the opening set in overtime 27-25 as Je’ne Brown had a tip for point 25, a kill for point 26 and a return for point 27. Je’ne Brown and Moore each had 6 kills in the set.

Roy-Hart bounced back to take the second set 25-23 as Moore had a kill for point 24 and Kristina Burdick served up the set winner.

Medina had rallied into ties at 22-22 and 23-23 as Griffin had a kill for point 20 and a tip for point 21 and Je’ne Brown a kill for point 22.

The sea-saw battle would continue as Medina took the third set 25-17 as Gross served up points 21-25, a run capped off by a set winning kill by Je’ne Brown.

Once again though Roy-Hart rallied to knot the match by taking the fourth set 25-19 as Moore had kills for points 21 and 22 and a block for point 24 and Ella Brown a block for point 23.

That set the stage for the dramatic fifth set which saw Roy-Hart reach match point with a 24-17 lead only to see Medina come storming back to take 10 of the next 11 points to win the set and the match in dramatic overtime fashion.

Medina is now 2-0 and Roy-Hart 2-1 in N-O action.

Medina’s Devin Griffin and Roy-Hart’s Paige Dent meet at the top of the net.

Medina players celebrate the win.