MARYVILLE — The Berea Mountaineers traveled to Cooper Athletic Center for a rematch after sweeping Maryville 3-0 earlier this season. But this time, it was Maryville that emerged victorious, rallying after a first-set loss to secure a four-set win with scores of 18-25, 25-20, 26-24, and 25-18.
Standout performances from
Cailin Mastropasqua and
Dakota Vaiese led the way.
Set 1 was a steady affair with Berea leading for most of the way. But the Scots stayed close, battling through five early ties. MC grabbed it's only lead of the set on a four-point run starting at 5-5, but Berea regained control and closed it out at 25-18.
"The girls were trying to be too perfect in the first set," Scots head coach
Brienna Laskowski said. "We told them, all we need is movement. We don't need speed and movement. As soon as they dialed in on that, it was a different ballgame."
Third Set Decisive
The third set was the most competitive of the night, featuring five tie scores and three lead changes. Berea struck first with an early lead at 1-0, but the Scots quickly climbed back, forcing a tie at 12-12. Maryville held the lead before Berea pushed for a nail-biting finish, going up 24-23. Two kills from
Reese Bailey and
Landry Frisch turned the Scots around, and MC emerged as the 26-24 victor of the set.
Mastropasqua provided a calm and steady presence in the Scots victory, racking up 14 kills and 17 digs. When the Scots needed a key point to change the momentum, Mastropasqua was there with a big swing.
"My performance has been kind of up and down throughout the years," Mastropasqua said. "This year, I've focused on, if I can't give to one area, I will give to another. So if I can't make the kills, I will give it to someone else with the digs so they can crank the ball."
Vaiese delivered six service aces on the night, but her biggest impact came with her setting. She recorded 17 assists on 44 attempts and boasted a .386 setting percentage.
"D is just full of fire, and she wants to win," Laskowski said. "When she gets going, she's exceptional. She set an incredible game tonight with a ton of assists."
Katelyn Eldred also put in a solid day defensively, fresh off back-to-back CCS Defensive Player of the Week honors. Eldred notched 17 digs while also contributing offensively with five assists.
With the win, Maryville improves to 9-6 on the season. The Scots now head to Macon, Georgia, for matches against Wesleyan and Huntingdon on Saturday.
