New Kent averts straight set loss, roars back to stun Poquoson in five

Lady Trojan Tiffany Tolley blasts one of her 13 kills over the Poquoson defense.

Alan Chamberlain photo

A single point away from losing in three straight sets to Poquoson’s Islanders, New Kent’s Lady Trojans shifted into survival mode. The hosts overcame Poquoson’s two-set advantage and 25-24 third set lead to extend Tuesday night’s volleyball match. From there, they held on in sets four and five to capture a marathon 30-32, 23-25, 27-25, 27-25, 17-15 victory.

“We were pretty pumped up the whole night,” said Lady Trojan coach Cyndi Burnett, whose team improved to 11-10. “We just kept plugging away and did what we had to do to win.”

But winning proved to be a challenge due to absence of senior Kaitlyn Claytor, the team’s number two hitter and a key middle blocker, who earlier had suffered a high school career-ending ACL tear that will require surgery.

“With Claytor out, we needed others to step up and they did,” Burnett said, crediting performances by Zoe Smith, Tiffany Tolley, Jenna Helt, Mattie Thornton, and Lexie Butler.

Smith responded with a career-high 23 kills while Tolley contributed another 13. Thornton and Helt, meanwhile, each added six along with four blocks apiece.

A Thornton block saved New Kent in the pivotal third set, creating a 25-25 deadlock. Then after a spiking miscue cost Poquoson a point, Helt dropped a shot over Islander blockers to send the match into a fourth set.

Buoyed by Thornton and Butler kills along with Smith’s pair of aces, the hosts opened a seemingly comfortable 12-2 lead in set three. A Butler kill followed by Jada Evans’ ace extended the advantage to 14-3. Moments later, a Helt kill had the hosts in command at 18-7.

The Islanders, however, chipped away, eventually overtaking their hosts at 22-22 before gaining a 24-23 lead plus side out. But an errant spike and subsequent Helt block put New Kent back in front. Poquoson scored on a block, once again evening the score, but Islander errors, including a net serve and a whiff on a spike attempt, deadlocked the match at two sets apiece.

“That was uncomfortable, to say the least,” Burnett said, looking back on the big lead that evaporated. “But the girls were very positive and stayed up.”

New Kent vaulted in front early in the decisive fifth set behind two Smith kills and another from Tolley. Smith’s third ace of the night created an 8-2 margin.

The hosts reached match point at 14-11, but the Islanders regained composure during a time out, rallying to erase the deficit and draw even at 14-all on a Lady Trojan passing error.

Butler, however, stopped the Islander surge with a kill. The visitors responded with a kill, creating the final tie before driving a serve and then a spike into the net to end the affair.

Setter Bryanna Seay, who Burnett said grew stronger as the match progressed, dished out 48 assists. On defense, Evans led with 31 digs followed by Seay’s 21 and Smith’s 17.