By Rick Assad
Two very similar teams with very similar skill and talent met in a nonleague girls’ volleyball match between Providence High and the Archer School For Girls.
So close and highly competitive, the more than two-and-a-half-hour clash needed a fifth set which was claimed by the host Pioneers.
At the Fritz B. Burns Activity Center on Tuesday afternoon, Providence prevailed 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12 and it was nip and tuck from the outset.
How close was this matchup? Let’s see. When you total up all the points scored in the match, the difference in points was one in favor of Providence (3-0).
Now that’s really close and it was exciting as each, and every set went back and forth and there were ebbs and flows.
In that tie-breaking fifth set, the Panthers led 4-2 after a touch of the net by the Pioneers and before a short time, the Panthers led 10-3 on a push from Sophie Shafipour.
Archer School (1-2) leaped to an 11-4 advantage on a tapper from Arissa Lalani and it would add one more point on a hitting error by senior Nasiyah Chapman before the Pioneers stormed back and claimed 11 points.
Senior Emily Steward tossed in an ace for the Pioneers that cut the lead to 11-7 and on a hitting miscue by the Archer School’s Ryley Hyman it was tied at 11-11 as the Panthers needed a time out.
A service ace from junior Daniella Aves clinched the set and match for Providence.
Meghan Mullinax is Providence’s first-year head coach and was thrilled that her team prevailed in this outstanding match.
“Overall, I was really proud of the way our girls competed and continued to fight throughout the match,” she said. “We had some great rallies, played together, and showed a lot of resilience when things didn’t necessarily go our way.”
Mullinax, who played volleyball at Notre Dame High and also coached at Louisville High, spoke about the deciding game.
“In that fifth set, I really liked the composure and fight we showed,” she noted. “In a tight match like that, every point matters, and I thought our girls did a great job staying together and continuing to compete until the very end.”
In the second set, Archer School pulled ahead 6-3 on a push from Shafipour. The Panthers led 9-6 on a kill from Sophie Sampson.
The Pioneers rallied and led 15-11 on a kill from sophomore Miabella Aves. Junior Elivia Buhay delivered a service ace to make it 21-16 in favor of Providence.
Senior Natalia Avanesian had a kill to make it 23-22 for the home team and senior Zoe Barrows made it 24-23 with a winner. When Chapman, a one-time Burroughs athlete, had a spike as it became 25-23.
In the fourth game, the Panthers dashed ahead 8-1 on a block from Naomi (Sky) Hall. A kill from Hall made it 10-4 and Sampson’s winner extended the cushion to 14-7.
Steward’s service ace trimmed the lead to 17-10, and the margin was reduced to 17-12 on a hit from Daniella Aves.
An ace from Aves saw the Pioneers get to within 18-16 as the Archer School called time out.
Junior Melania Adjamian had a kill for the Pioneers that made it 22-21 and a winner from Miabella Aves clinched the set that evened it at four games apiece.
The first set was deadlocked at 6-6 when Hyman’s ball hit the net. The Archer School led 11-8 on an ace from Lalani.
The Panthers then scooted ahead 17-13 on a kill from Olivia Elsea as the Pioneers requested a stoppage in play.
Shafipour’s service winner made it 19-16 but it was tied at 19-19 on a kill from Chapman. An ace from Sophie Salehi was the set claimer for the Panthers.
In the third set, the Pioneers led 5-2 on a kill from Lori Sepilian but the Panthers rallied and evened it at 8-8 on a tapper from Hyman.
Hall’s kill made it 15-12 in favor of the Panthers and the lead swelled to 16-14 on another winner from Hall.
Adjamian’s mishit gave the Archer School a 20-18 advantage but it was knotted at 23-23 on a kill from Providence senior Sydney Forlano.
Hall’s laser made it 24-23 and Hall’s dagger finalized the set for two games to one lead.
For Mullinax, the season is just starting and she hopes the team gets better each match.
“It’s still very early in our season, so there are definitely things we can clean up, but I was really happy with the effort and teamwork I saw from the group,” she explained. “It was a great match for us to learn and grow from. It was definitely a wild match and a great one to be a part of.”
