FARMINGTON -- Senior night nearly featured an upset as Farmington took Harrison into the tiebreaker before the Lady Goblins prevailed, 23-25, 25- 14, 25-14, 30-32, 15-13, in 4A-1 volleyball action Oct. 11, 2018.
In the final match of their high school volleyball careers played at Cardinal Arena, Farmington recognized its seniors: Eliza Ball, Alexis Cates, Charlie Holder, Anthea Jones, and Kaylee Purifoy. Cates was injured early in the season. Farmington used an 8-3 run to break away from a 5-5 tie in the first set. Kally Stout's block-kill gave Farmington a 13-8 lead.
Ball's tip-kill playing the second hit took Harrison by surprise making the score 17-15. Harrison drew even at 18-18 on Grace Strode's kill and went ahead on a tip-kill. Farmington took time-out and Stout came back with a pair of kills to give Farmington a 21-19 advantage.
Harrison responded from a time-out called by its coach April Mattix to regain the lead at 23-21 on a 4-0 mini-run. Jazmine Armer had a kill and then a Farmington dig went bad. Farmington coach Mike Howard stilled his squad with another time-out. Junior Brittany Pittman's block-kill tied the game and Farmington got a break when Harrison hit long and wide on the final two points. Farmington won the first set, 25-23.
Harrison cruised through the next two sets beating Farmington by identical scores of 25-14 to take a two games to one lead in the match.
Farmington fought off elimination during a prolonged fourth set. There were seven ties early before Farmington eked out a 12-9 lead. Stout played a kill off the net and Anderson served up an ace. Following a time-out, Pittman and Stout pounded kills to draw Farmington even at 14-14.
An ace and Strode's kill helped Harrison score four straight points to move in front, 22-19. Farmington rallied by notching the next three points before Ella Kate Reynolds' kill put Harrison in the lead, at 23-22. Farmington reached game-point (24-23) on Stout's kill and again on a Harrison miscue at 25-24.
With no time-outs left the teams wrangled over which would emerge out of the set victorious. Harrison reached game-point leading 26-25, but after a save by Jones for Farmington, the Lady Goblins were whistled for a double-hit. A block-kill by Harrison repeated the scenario at 27-26, but Jones was again positioned to make a play. Her kill from the right hitter spot helped Farmington bounce back and reach game-point, at 28-27.
Harrison then went up 29-28 with a chance to end the contest, but Anderson robbed the Lady Goblins of a big hit by digging out a smash and Jones powered a cross-court kill to keep the Lady Cardinals alive. Harrison served for game-point, but forfeited another opportunity to win with a service error that tied the game, 30-30.
Junior Madison Holiman fashioned a control-kill that landed just inside the side boundary and won 32-30 on a Harrison hitting error. Those heroics forced a fifth set, in which Farmington overcame a 10-8 deficit with a 3-0 mini-run featuring back-to-back kills by Stout. Harrison countered with a 4-0 run aided by three Farmington mistakes and got to game-point and match-point.
Stout nailed a kill and Holiman served an ace to pull the Lady Cardinals within, 14-13, but Strode's kill concluded the set with Harrison winning 15-13 to claim the match, three games to two. Farmington recorded 24 kills and 8 aces during the match.
Sports on 10/31/2018