Mount Greylock Pulls Away Late Against Lee

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Right about the time when you might have expected the Mount Greylock volleyball team to wear down, it stepped up.

 

The Mounties, on the heels of a five-set win in Tuesday’s season opener, broke open a tight match in the fourth set on Wednesday to earn a 3-1 win and continue a 27-match winning streak that started a year ago to the day.

 

Kelsey MacHaffie recorded six aces and nine kills, including one at match point to secure a 25-20, 25-19, 23-25, 25-5 victory.

 

After the Wildcats stormed off the court with a third set win to stay alive, the Mounties, playing their ninth set in 26 hours, took control with a six-point run on MacHaffie’s serve to take a 7-1 lead and never looked back.

 

“I think in that fourth set, everyone was just really energized and we brought our game,” MacHaffie said. “Coming off our win yesterday, we knew what we had to do in our last game, and we just brought the energy from the last game.

 

“We knew Lee was hungry, because they’ve been wanting to beat us for a while now. I think it was good that we fed off their energy and just played well all around.”

 

Mount Greylock coach Greg Geyer admitted to being worried about the back-to-back matches and the energy expended in surviving a battle with another county rival, Lenox, on Tuesday night.

 

“Since this game is over, I’ll say I was very concerned,” Geyer said. “I wouldn’t have told you that if we lost, but it was totally on my mind.”

 

Kylie Sweren again led the Mounties in kills with 14 to go with six aces. Annabelle Coody had nine kills, and Emily Alvarez notched five aces in the win.

 

Lee was led by Karalynn Hopkins with six kills and 10 digs. Claire Davis had 15 digs, and Juliana Schuerer notched 11 assists to go with six digs.

 

The night started out slow for both teams’ offense with the squads trading side outs most of the first set.

 

The Mounties got a little separation late with a three-point run on Alvarez’ serve to get to 18-14, but Lee erased that deficit with back-to-back Schuerer aces to make it 20-20.

 

After the Mounties got a sideout, MacHaffie served out the set, which ended on a kill by Sweren.

 

The second set turned on a three-point run on Alvarez’ serve. MacHaffie had a tip at the net, Alvarez served an ace, and Coody put away a kill to make it 18-15.

 

It was 19-18 after an Olivia Perez kill for a side out, and Coody served the next four points to build a 23-18 lead the Wildcats could not cut into.

 

Lee was able to erase a deficit midway through the third set to extend the match.

 

A Mya Andre kill gave Lee a sideout at 16-13, and Lexi Masten served the next three points to tie it, 16-16.

 

The teams then traded blows the rest of the way, neither leading by more than two points.

 

A service error for the Mounties gave Lee the serve at 23-23, and a Masten kill gave the Wildcats their first set point of the night. Mount Greylock was called for a double touch to give Lee a 25-23 win and a shot at a fourth set.

 

Errors have been another concern for Geyer in the early going this fall.

 

“We try to be in the low teens in errors per set, or, like 10 is the goal,” Geyer said. “Until that fourth set, we’ve been in the upper teens to 20. That’s where the difference was.”

 

On the other side of the net, Lee made a few too many errors to stem the momentum that Mount Greylock seized at the start of Set 4.

 

“We struggled on serve receive for a few points, and I think that just got into our heads,” Lee coach Julia Warner said. “It is definitely a game of momentum, and we lost the momentum we were able to build in the third set.

 

“As our first match, I think it’s something we learn a lot from. We learn more from our losses than our wins. And we get back into the gym tomorrow, and we’ve got a to work on.”

 

MacHaffie’s initial service run, which featured a couple of aces and a Teigan Brady kill, jump started things for the home team.

 

After a Sweren tip got the serve back, she went to the back line and served the next seven points to push the margin to 15-3.

 

The teams then traded side outs until Alvarez got her chance at the service line, and she finished the match with an eight-point run that included an ace and a couple of MacHaffie kills.

 

Mount Greylock (2-0) goes to Chicopee Comprehensive on Friday.

 

Lee (0-1) is at West Springfield on Friday.