vikingssportsn Hopewell, PA – Hopewell (5-5 / 4-3) picked up a straight-set victory over Mohawk on Thursday night, overcoming a slow start in the opener before closing out the match 25- 20, 26-24 and 25-19.
The Vikings found themselves in an early hole in the first set as Mohawk built an 18-12 advantage. Ayla Pisano helped stop the run with a shot to the back corner before Avery Boyd added a tip, Pisano followed with an ace and Jiselle Cain came up with a block as Hopewell began working its way back.
Trailing 20-18, Hopewell turned the set over to Hannah McDowell at the service line. After a Mohawk error pulled the Vikings within one, McDowell delivered back-to-back aces to give Hopewell its first lead at 21-20. She added another ace out of a Mohawk timeout; Boyd followed with a kill and Tessa Burgess made a nice read on a long return before McDowell capped the comeback with another ace for a 25-20 win.
Hopewell carried that momentum into the second set, getting contributions throughout the lineup. Abby Babinsack delivered a kill, and a block, Ariana Fischer and Addison Blosnick provided power at the net, while Pisano continued to distribute the ball to McDowell and Boyd.
The Vikings led 20-17 before Mohawk battled back to tie the set at 21 and eventually grabbed a 24-23 advantage. McDowell answered to even things at 24 before Blosnick took over at the net, putting away an overpass and following with a left side kill to give Hopewell the 26-24 win.
Hopewell was more in control throughout the third set. Boyd, McDowell and Blosnick provided the early offense before the Vikings began to pull away midway through the set. Cici Smetana made a nice defensive read, Fischer added a block and Blosnick mixed in a pair of well-placed tips as Hopewell stretched its advantage to 20-13.
Marina Pinchotti followed with an ace before Babinsack put away a kill off a Brooke Otto set to help push the lead to 23-14. Mohawk made one final run to close within 23-18, but Hopewell stopped it following a timeout. Otto and Smetana combined on a nice read to get the Vikings to match point before McDowell finished the night with a kill off another Otto set for the 25-19 victory.
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The first two sets required Hopewell to make plays late, but the Vikings responded each time. The opening-set comeback provided the spark, while the third set showed a more consistent Hopewell attack as the Vikings finished off the sweep.
Hopewell remains at home next week, with back-to-back home games on Tuesday 10/6 vs Quaker Valley and Wednesday 10/7 vs Riverside.
Here’s a play-by-play recap:
Set #1
1-2 Hopewell on the board off a Mohawk serving error
3-2 Hannah McDowell with a big swing for a kill.
4-4 Tessa Burgess & Marina Pinchotti with a good read on a long serve
5-4 Pinchotti with an ace
6-7 McDowell with a tip shot to the middle
7-7 McDowell on the serve now, forcing a wide return
9-10 Addison Blosnick with a big hit through the block for a kill
10-11 Ariana Fischer with a sharp kill off the Ayla Pisano set
11-15 Mohawk on an early run forcing a Hopewell timeout
12-18 Pisano with a much needed shot to the back corner
13-18 Avery Boyd tips on over for a point
14-18 Pisano with an ace
15-18 Jiselle Cain with a block at the net
16-19 McDowell with a strong kill from the right side
18-20 Boyd with a kill off the Pisano set. Burgess with the pass.
19-20 McDowell on the serve, a wide return from Mohawk
21-20 McDowell with back-to-back aces to tie it up and grab the lead. Timeout Mohawk.
22-20 McDowell with another ace out the timeout
23-20 Boyd with a kill from the right side
24-20 A nice read by Burgess on a long return
25-20 McDowell caps the comeback off with an ace
Set #2
1-1 Hopewell on the board off the Mohawk error.
3-2 Abby Babinsack with a push shot to the middle, causing the error.
4-4 Burgess with a great read on a long shot.
5-5 Fischer hammers a kill to the backline
6-5 Pisano sets McDowell for the back row kill
7-6 Blosnick crushes another ball for a kill
8-7 A nice defensive rally from Hopewell forcing an error
9-7 Babinsack with kill off Pisano’s set
10-7 McDowell with a kill from her outside office.
11-8 Pisano tips one over forcing an error
12-8 Pisano with the backset to Boyd for the right-side kill
13-8 Burgess with a desperation freeball that find the floor
14-10 Burgess with a great pass that Pinchotti free balls over leading to a point
15-11 Boyd with a beautiful outside kill off the Pisano set
16-11 McDowell with an ace
17-15 Mohawk with the error ending a run.
18-16 Pinchotti with a good read on a long serve
19-17 Babinsack with a block
20-17 Burgess on the serve, forcing a Mohawk error.
20-19 Mohawk not going away this set
21-19 Babinsack hits one forcing the error
21-21 Mohawk ties it up
22-21 McDowell with a hit that catches the back corner
23-22 Fischer kills an overpass
23-23 Tied up again
23-24 Mohawk grabs the lead, timeout Hopewell.
24-24 Hopewell ties it up on McDowel
25-24 McDowell on the serve, Blosnick kills the overpass
26-24 Blosnick with the left side kill to grab set 2 late.
Set #3
1-1 McDowell blasts one through the block to get Hopewell on the board
2-1 Boyd with a strong right side hit for a kill
3-1 Pisano & Burgess with a good read on a long return
4-3 Boyd with a left side kill this time. Pisano with the set
5-4 McDowell hits one through the block for a kill
6-5 McDowell with a nice read on a long return
7-6 Blosnick tips a ball over off the pass from Fischer
8-6 Blosnick again with the hit forcing an error. Pinchotti with a nice serve
10-8 Blosnick with another heater for a kill
11-8 Burgess on the serve forcing an error
12-8 Cici Smetana with a great read on a shot to the side
13-10 McDowell with a kill off the Pisano set
14-10 Pisano with a great serve forcing the error
15-10 McDowell with a block at the net
17-11 Babinsack on the serve, McDowell with a strong outside kill
18-12 Fischer with a great block that finds the floor
19-13 Blosnick tips one over fooling the defense
20-13 Blosnick with another tip shot. Timeout Mohawk.
21-13 Pinchotti with an ace
23-14 Babinsack with the kill off the Brooke Otto set
23-18 Mohawk on a run forcing a Hopewell timeout
24-18 Hopewell gets to match point on a nice read by Otto and Smetana on the side
25-19 McDowell finishes out the match off the Otto set.
