In a long, grueling 5 set match against the Penns Valley Rams, the Tyrone Lady Eagles fell 3-2. The Eagles fought hard to win sets 2 and 4, forcing the match to 5 sets. 

In the first set, Penns Valley set the tone early by pulling through a nail biter with a score of 25-23.

“I was very excited [for the first set] since everyone didn’t have the first game jitters anymore. It was very intense and we had to continue to be mentally tough throughout the entire match,” said senior Kylee Gooding.

Tyrone then took on the second set with a prominent lead of 25-14, inspiring the Lady Eagles to keep fighting.

“Winning the second set showed us that we are capable of beating good teams when we are in control,” said sophomore Mattie Cherry.

With the third set coming down to the wire, Penns Valley came out on top with another close score of 27-25.  The teams then moved to another set to determine the winner. 

The Lady Eagles boasted a terminating attitude and took the fourth set with a score of 25-22, giving the crowd something to stay for with the fifth and final set ahead.

In high school volleyball, the fifth set goes to 15 points instead of 25 and determines the winner. This difference causes less time to comeback from a significant lead posed by the other team.

Penns Valley had a 9-3 lead off the bat and the Lady Eagles fought back to tie up the game but eventually fell short with a final score of 15-11.

“In our fifth set, we were definitely tired, but I feel like we pushed through it and did the best we could. We did make dumb plays because of exhaustion, but mentally I feel like we were in the game,” said junior Brianna Foy.

“In a hot gym, both teams played their tails off and just a couple points were the deciding factor in this ball game. Both teams deserve a hats off to their effort, competitiveness and drive on the floor. Despite the loss, my kids at Tyrone learned and improved. We are still a very young team and this was a good experience for us,” said Head Coach Mike Kraft.

Gooding lead the team with 18 kills. Sophomore Courtney Williams and Foy both obtained 11 kills, while sophomore Makenna Bauer had 8. Williams dominated with 8 blocks and Gooding gave 3. Junior Ebonee Rice had 32 digs, Gooding had 25 digs, while Foy had 21. Bauer earned 15 service points and Rice contributed 12. Cherry obtained 32 assists and 16 digs.

“[It was] amazing! I was so hype after because I shut her down for the next couple of plays. Also, it helped my teammates out by getting the ball up and slowing her swing down.”Sis Williams when asked how it felt to get 8 blocks and to shut down Penns Valley’s best hitter.