BREVARD, N.C. - With emotions running high and a packed house cheering them on, the Brevard College volleyball team completed a stunning comeback before the biggest crowd of the season, resurrecting from the brink of elimination to take a thrilling five-set victory on a wild night at Boshamer Gymnasium.
The Tornados (9-8, 3-7 SAC) dropped the first two sets to Catawba (4-12, 2-9 SAC) and fell behind early in the third, but took control in the middle of the set to seized momentum back from the visiting Lady Indians. They then pushed the match to a decisive fifth set with a 25-22 nailbiter and were a point away from a loss in the final set before three straight points electrified the crowd and gave Brevard the victory.
The first two sets played out in a fashion that has become all-too-familiar for the Tornados, with Brevard remaining competitive into the middle stages before a decisive run by the opponents gives them a victory. It was a 12-4 Catawba run in the first set that turned a 13-12 advantage into a 25-16 romp, while the Lady Indians scored five of the final seven points in the second set to earn a 25-21 victory.
In the third set, however, it was Brevard that became the aggressor as the set drew to a close. A brief five-point spurt allowed the Tornados to take control in the early going, but Catawba slowly clawed their way back into the set until a Brevard attack error trimmed the lead to just a point. But the Tornados turned the tables on Catawba, closing on an 8-2 run to earn the win and reverse their fortunes from many recent contests.
Hannah Elmore, who had match- and career-highs with 19 kills on the evening, led the Brevard charge in the third set, catching fire for five kills on 12 attempts in the frame to pace a Tornados' offense that hit .364, the highest single-set total of either team on the night. She contributed three consecutive kills at one point in the run that helped shift the momentum in Brevard's favor for good.
The Tornados quickly built a 10-5 lead in the fourth set, aided by four Lady Indians' attack errors and two service errors during the stretch. The lead quickly evaporated, however, as Brevard coach Kelly Burdeau, who along with assistant coach Jordan Raye is a Catawba alumnae, was forced to take a timeout with the advantage dwindling to a precarious 15-14. The Brevard lead stretched to as many as six points after a Catawba error, but four straight Lady Indians' points made the score 22-20.
Brevard was again able to reverse its fortunes from the early part of the season, however, using two Catawba attack errors and one of Aleksandra Vrvilo's match-high three service aces to close out the win and push the match to a fifth set.
The decisive set featured seven ties and three lead changes, effectively doubling the match totals to that point. Catawba hit a solid .222 in the set, but Brevard bested that effort with a .276 performance of its own en route to the 17-15 win.
The Tornados led by as many as four points, going up 12-8 on an Elmore termination. The Lady Indians fought back though, scoring seven of the next nine points to reach match point at 15-14 after a solo block by Erin Morant on an attack by Rachel Ruble.
With the match on the line, Ruble returned the favor, notching her only block of the match on a solo stuff of Morant to even the score at 15. Ruble then closed out the match in style, notching two kills to punctuate an emotional win for the Tornados.
Ruble, Elmore, and Fatima Gharachorloo each tallied three kills in the decisive set. Ruble and Gharachorloo had 13 kills each, with Ruble notching a .440 attack percentage for the match. Setter Erin Barr contributed 43 assists in the winning effort, while Vrvilo had 23 digs and seven assists.
The Tornados wore special pink jerseys on Friday night to commemorate the fight against breast cancer as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Donations were accepted for the Side-Out Foundation, which allocates funds for breast cancer research and patient services. Donations will also be collected at tomorrow afternoon's match, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. against Queens.
