Taconic Volleyball Falls in Five Sets in State Tourney
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Taconic volleyball team Thursday played from behind throughout its state tournament opener and came back every time.
But the Thunder ran out of time in the first-to-15 fifth set.
No. 23 Georgetown benefited from a service error on match point to come away with a 26-24, 22-25, 25-17, 24-26, 15-12 win and advance to the Round of 16 in the Division 5 tourney.
Taconic (13-6), which took a leap forward this fall, took the unexpected step of saying goodbye to a talented group of seniors that left their mark on the program.
“Brenna [McNeice] really led the team the whole season, and we’ve got a lot of great players around her,”.JPG)
Taconic coach Lance Fyfe said. “Great [defensive specialists] who can get the ball up to her. We’ve got a good variety of offense, and Brenna knows how to use everyone. She can mix it up. She’s got incredible hands – best high school hands I think I’ve ever seen. She can put the ball wherever she wants without any spin. She just dishes it out, and very rarely does the whistle blow when she’s setting it.
Taconic coach Lance Fyfe said. “Great [defensive specialists] who can get the ball up to her. We’ve got a good variety of offense, and Brenna knows how to use everyone. She can mix it up. She’s got incredible hands – best high school hands I think I’ve ever seen. She can put the ball wherever she wants without any spin. She just dishes it out, and very rarely does the whistle blow when she’s setting it.
“She’s smart, athletic, fast. She’s everything you could want in a player, in a captain.”
Among the recipients of McNeice’s setting prowess all season were classmates Naomi Tayi (11 kills) and Nyashia Daniels (nine kills). The class is rounded out by Ruby Robertson (14 digs) and libero Ciana Bennett (39 digs, four aces).
“Ciana, our other captain, she’s a senior as well,” Fyfe said. “She’s become very consistent. Most passes, she’s getting up at least to the 10-foot line, sometimes in front. She’s bringing it back.”
And Taconic came back after a disappointing first set marked by long service runs for each team.
After Georgetown jumped out to a 13-7 lead, Bennett served eight points, including several aces, to take a 15-13 lead on a kill by sophomore Jadyn Galliher (10 kills, 21 digs).
The Royals (8-12) rebounded with a three-point run by Lily Caplin to go up, 21-18. Taconic then answered with four points in a row on Robertson’s serve to get a set point at 24-23.
A double hit on Taconic’s side of the net gave Georgetown a side out at 24-24, and Molly Furlong served the final points of the set for the visitors – set point coming on a kill from Jacqueline Carter.
In the second set, Daniels served five points to get Taconic an early 13-5 lead, but Georgetown drew even
thanks to runs from Ava Hughes and Caplin to get to 19-19.
thanks to runs from Ava Hughes and Caplin to get to 19-19.
Taconic was able to keep the Royals from regaining the lead and eventually cashed in its second set point with a kill from Tayi to even the match at a set apiece.
An ace from Georgetown’s Furlong capped a four-point run to open a 12-4 lead in the third, and Taconic never got closer than seven points the rest of the set.
The Thunder then fell into an early hole in the fourth, but Galliher served four straight points in the middle of the set to give Taconic a 14-11 lead. Georgetown regained momentum and led, 21-18 late before McNeice (28 assists, 22 digs, three aces) served four straight, including a pair of aces, to give Taconic a 23-21 lead.
A few sideouts later, Georgetown was whistled for a lift on set point, and Taconic leveled the match at 2-2.
Neither side led by more than three points in the fifth set.
Taconic suffered a blow late when a disputed line call gave Georgetown a point to lead at 12-11 and a side out. Hughes served two points to get the Royals to match point at 14-11, and they finished the match two points later.
“We made too many errors tonight,” Fyfe said. “Hats off to [Georgetown] for keeping it in play, keeping the pressure on us. They outlasted us.”
Although the season came to end for Taconic on Thursday, the accomplishments of the season will not soon be forgotten on Valentine Road.
“Just a lot of team cohesion,” Fyfe said. “That’s huge. Without that, we would have been nothing. I’ve coached teams with no team cohesion at all, and it doesn’t work, no matter how good your players are. These kids, they work together.
“The kids who don’t play as much are still supportive. They don’t get down too much. That helps us a lot too. They’re always ready to come in when needed.”