The Nation Ford Falcons boys’ volleyball team had trouble holding off a three-set rally by the Blythewood Bengals as they fell Thursday night in five sets.
Nation Ford lost 3-2 (27-25, 25-20, 19-25, 11-25, 10-15) to drop to 4-4 on the season and 0-2 in Region 3-5A as Blythewood remains in the Falcons region in boys’ volleyball because they don’t have enough teams in their new region that play the sport.
Nation Ford head coach Amanda Scott said momentum has a way in volleyball of being big.
“It was a momentum shift for sure,” she said. “We let them take control of the ball game. Volleyball is a sport of momentum. I am proud of the them. It is a joy to coach them.”
With the match tied at two sets a piece, Nation Ford started the fifth and final set going up 2-0.
Blythewood battled back scoring six of the next eight points to go up 6-4 before a Falcons timeout. Nation Ford stayed close, but couldn’t rally enough to make a run as they again took a timeout trailing 10-6.
The Falcons would pull within three on a couple of occasions, but never were able to tie after their initial good start as they fell in the fifth set 15-10.
To open the match in the first set, Nation Ford started the set strong going up 4-2, but the Bengals were able to counter and tie the set at nine.
The teams began to trade points at that time with neither team getting more than a two-point lead.
Nation Ford was able to break that streak and go up 23-20. Blythewood was again able to tie the set at 23 before a Falcons timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Nation Ford was able to squeeze out a two-point lead to take a 1-0 set advantage.
Blythewood started by going up early, but Nation Ford quickly was able to keep pace as the two teams started trading points again in starting the second set.
The Falcons went up 13-10 in trying to pull away, forcing Blythewood into a timeout. Nation Ford continued to pull away, but Blythewood forced them into errors allowing the Bengals to climb back into the set pulling within two.
The Falcons again went on the attack and was able to find holes in the Blythewood defense to go up 23-17 before winning to take a 2-0 advantage.
The third set started much like the previous two as neither team got an early advantage. Blythewood crept ahead going up 8-5 before a Falcons timeout. The Bengals were able to maintain their lead out of the timeout going up 12-6, but Nation Ford slowly chipped away tying the set at 15.
Blythewood again regrouped and went up 20-17, as Nation Ford took a timeout. After the timeout, the Bengals scored five of the next seven points to win the set.
With momentum in their corner, Blythewood started the fourth set going up 5-1 and pushed the score to 10-4 before another Nation Ford timeout.
The Bengals were able to maintain control for the remainder of the set pulling away to make it 18-9. Blythewood would get stronger as they set continued with Nation Ford taking their second timeout of the set trailing by 11. Blythewood came out of the timeout to win the fourth set and tie the match at two and force a fifth set.
Sept. 5 Roundup
The Fort Mill girls’ tennis team improved to 2-0 on the season with a shutout win over Clover 6-0. Getting wins for Fort Mill were Emily Rimmer 6-1, 6-0; Reagan Adams 6-0, 6-1; Kendall McCarty 6-1, 6-2; Hannah Swainey 6-0, 6-1; Esme Bromham 7-5, 6-3 and Abhi Nallareddy and Maddie Burcham in doubles 6-2, 6-0.
The Catawba Ridge girls’ tennis team picked up their first win of the season with a 6-0 win over Northwestern. Getting wins for the Copperheads were Gracyn Root 6-4, 6-3; Gianna Toscano 6-1, 6-1; Katelyn Evans 6-0, 6-3; Skyler White 6-0, 6-2; Abby Russell 6-0, 6-1 and Meredith Reynolds and Kaitlyn Wood 6-2, 7-5 in doubles. Catawba Ridge is now 1-1 on the season
The Fort Mill girls’ volleyball team lost 3-0 to Clover by scores of 25-12, 25-19, 25-15 to fall to 0-2 in Region 3-5A and 4-5 on the season.
The Catawba Ridge boys’ volleyball team beat Northwestern 3-1 (25-19 25-15, 19-25, 25-17) to improve to 7-3 overall and 3-0 in Region 3-5A.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
