The Alba-Golden Lady Panthers came up just short in a five-set battle against Detroit, falling 3-2 after pushing the match to the final points of the fifth set.
Alba-Golden opened the match with a 25-16 win before Detroit answered with a 25-18 victory in the second set. The Lady Panthers took control again in the third, winning 25-21, but Detroit forced a fifth set with a narrow 25-23 win in the fourth.
The deciding set was just as close. Neither team was able to pull away, and the set went beyond the usual 15 points before Detroit finished off the match, 17-15.
Alba-Golden outscored Detroit 106-104 over the five sets despite taking the loss.
The Lady Panthers had opportunities throughout the match, but missed serves, communication breakdowns and balls hitting the floor at key moments proved costly.
Junior middle Averi Stevenson gave Alba-Golden a boost at the net with several strong blocks and helped the Lady Panthers stay within striking distance throughout the match.
Junior Sadie Wright had a slow start but settled in as the match went on. After struggling early with her hitting and serving, Wright found a rhythm and came through with several kills and strong serves that helped swing momentum back in Alba-Golden’s favor.
The loss dropped Alba-Golden to 7-11 on the season, while Detroit improved to 17-1.
While the result wasn’t what the Lady Panthers wanted, they went the distance with a Detroit team that has lost just once this season. Alba-Golden won two sets, held a two-point advantage in total scoring and remained in contention until Detroit’s final point.
The Lady Panthers will look to clean up the mistakes that hurt them in the close sets and build on the positives as they head into their next match.