Down two sets and facing a long road back, the Hitchcock-Tulare Patriots found their rhythm and finished strong Tuesday night, rallying for a five-set victory over the Langford Area Lions.
The Patriots completed the reverse sweep by scores of 17-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-20 and 15-9, improving their season record to 12-10.
A sluggish start and a string of unforced errors put Hitchcock-Tulare behind early. The Lions took advantage of those mistakes to control the opening set and secure a 25-17 win.
The Patriots showed signs of settling in during the second set and held a brief lead, but they were unable to maintain the advantage. Langford Area put together a late run to claim the set 25-21 and move within one set of winning the match.
With little room for error, Hitchcock-Tulare answered in the third. The teams traded points throughout a closely contested set before the Patriots pulled out a 25-22 victory to keep the match alive.
That momentum carried into the fourth set, when aggressive serving, strong hitting and key plays at the net helped the Patriots establish a lead. Hitchcock-Tulare maintained its edge to take the set 25-20 and force a deciding fifth.
The Patriots struck first in the final set and sustained their lead throughout, finishing the comeback with a 15-9 victory.
Keilee Schone and Emmerie Arthurs led the Hitchcock-Tulare attack with 14 kills apiece, while Tess Bixler added nine. Laina Puffer recorded 22 assists, and Brynn Binger contributed 21.
Olivia Knox anchored the back-row defense with 28 digs. Arthurs added 23 digs to go with her strong offensive performance, and Kaylie LaBrie finished with 13.
The Patriots also received important contributions at the net. Rylee Knock recorded two solo blocks and two block assists, while Schone tallied one solo block and three block assists. Paige McNeely and Bixler each added two block assists.
Hitchcock-Tulare will return to action Thursday night, hosting the Ipswich Tigers in Tulare. Junior high play begins at 4:30 p.m., with junior varsity expected to start around 6:30 p.m. and varsity to follow.