Quitman falls to Mineola
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The Mineola Lady Jackets retained their undefeated district record after overcoming a strong challenge from the visiting Quitman Lady Bulldogs last Tuesday. Mineola prevailed, but it took five sets …
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Quitman falls to Mineola
The Mineola Lady Jackets retained their undefeated district record after overcoming a strong challenge from the visiting Quitman Lady Bulldogs last Tuesday. Mineola prevailed, but it took five sets (19-25, 25-21, 25-27, 25-8, 15-7).
The first three sets were near mirror image. One side established some momentum and built a lead and the opposition made a great rally near the end which forced the narrowest of margins.
In the first set, it was Quitman that built a cushion on the scoreboard. A 4-point rally at mid-set featured kills by Erin Vander Schaaf and Annabelle Popek and an ace from Chloe Jones. The Lady Bulldogs went up by as much as 7 points before Mineola began a comeback. The Lady Bulldogs weathered the challenge well and took set one handily.
The Lady Jackets led throughout the second set. Quitman climbed back to tie the set at 19. Kills by Tierany Neighbors and Olivia Hughes and a run of Quitman errors saw the set go to the Lady Jackets.
Quitman had the third set in hand, at one point leading 20-13, before the Lady Jackets began to catch fire. The set was tied at 22. Two blocks by Jadelyn Marshall and two aces from Neighbors fueled the home side. The back-and-forth, hand-wringing finish was taken by the Lady Bulldogs.
The fourth set turned the match. The focus and energy of the Lady Jackets prevailed. Mineola maintained an aggressive stance throughout the set and forced a multitude of Quitman errors.
Trinadee Jackson’s work from the service line secured the Mineola victory. In set four she pitched a 7-point run, and in set five she chalked up a 4-point run, capping it off with an ace.
Near the end of the match, Jackson found that sweet spot which crossed up the Quitman backline. Her services introduced doubt in how to field them and came at such a flat trajectory and fast velocity that they forced split-second decisions.
Despite the loss, there is no doubt the Lady Bulldogs have improved significantly since the opening of district. They play with a steady demeanor and work very well as a team. They certainly challenged the Lady Jackets.
Mineola, will, as always, have many lessons from this match – perhaps none more important than focus and energy wins in the end.