It was no play-day at the Alba-Golden gym last Friday. Mineola and Alba-Golden had yet another epic contest, with the Lady Panthers taking a four-game match win.  

There was little wasted movement in the Lady Panthers’ first set. They systematically built a lead which stretched to a seven-point advantage at mid-set.

The service game carried the first set. Kaylee Anglin, Cacie Lennon, Erin Langston, Skyler West and Kamrin Wright recorded aces.

Meanwhile, at the net, the blocking play of Lennon, Anglin, Kalli Trimble and West kept Mineola at bay. The action at the net was spirited and featured great play on both sides. 

Mylee Fisher’s textbook block began a Mineola comeback which also featured a Kenleigh Aguirre ace and a Jocelyn Whitehead kill. 

It was Lennon, however, who secured set one. The diminutive athlete played far above the net, demonstrating an amazing vertical leaping ability, a lightning-fast kill shot and excellent judgment on playing a drop. She followed Whitehead’s score with a kill and a scoring drop shot.

The Lady Panthers took set one 25-17.

Mineola began to find its rhythm in the second set. Continued solid play from Whitehead and three aces from Kloey Garcia gained an early Mineola advantage. The Lady Panthers fought back with two scores from Anglin (a block and a kill), and kill from Lennon.

Once Alba-Golden broke the 10-10 tie, they retained the lead to the end of the set. A furious Mineola rally fueled by two Whitehead scores and a Shylah Kratzmeyer kill could not change the course of the set. 

The Lady Panthers finished the second set with two Langston aces, a Trimble block, and an Anglin kill. Alba-Golden secured set two 25-17.

The third set was a fully-fledged volleyball brawl. The Lady Jackets were on the offensive and mostly dominating the state of play, while the Lady Panthers were counter-punching. 

Mineola won the longest volley of the night with an Olivia Hughes block and communicated the message that they were not done. The teams alternated scoring with excellent play throughout the set. It was tied at 18 and again at 20.  

A Kratzmeyer ace and two home-side handling errors recorded the third set win to Mineola, 25-22. 

The Lady Jackets clearly had the momentum and it showed early in the fourth set. Yet, despite their continued offensive pressure, they could not put a long scoring run together. 

After the Lady Panthers scratched back to tie the set at 9-9, Mineola buckled down. Using an Aguirre ace, a Fischer block and scores at the net by Whitehead, Kratzmeyer and Hughes, the Lady Jackets built as much as a five-point lead.

Alba-Golden rallied once again, however, and tied the set at 21. The gym was rocking. 

Despite two late Whitehead kills – both down the baseline – it was an emphatic kill from Lennon which put Alba-Golden at match point. The next ball found the floor on the visitor’s side and Alba-Golden took the set 26-24 and the match.