MIDWAY, Ky. - In a back-and-forth battle that went the distance, Georgetown rallied in the decisive fifth set to defeat the Midway women's volleyball team Tuesday night inside Marshall Gymnasium.
Midway came out strong in the opening set, scoring the first three points of the match behind kills from Lanie Cornelius and Allie McClanahan. Georgetown responded and eventually pulled ahead, but the Eagles battled back to even the set at 14.
The Tigers then created some separation with five unanswered points to take a 19-14 advantage. McClanahan answered with back-to-back kills to help Midway cut the deficit to two, but Georgetown held off the Eagles to claim the opening set, 25-20.
The second set featured plenty of momentum swings. After the two sides traded points early, Georgetown used a 6-0 run to build a 16-11 advantage and put Midway in another early hole.
The Eagles cut the deficit to 17-14 before one of their freshmen took over.
McClanahan, a Georgetown, Kentucky native, recorded three kills during a 7-0 Midway run that completely flipped the set and gave the Eagles a 21-17 advantage. Marlee Laycock added a pair of service aces during the run.
Georgetown responded to even the score at 21, but Midway won four of the final six points to take the set, 25-23, and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set was one the Eagles would like to have back. Midway struggled to find its offensive rhythm, recording nine kills while committing 11 attack errors on 40 attempts for a -.050 hitting percentage. Georgetown hit just .100 in the frame, but it was enough for the Tigers to take the set and regain a 2-1 advantage.
Midway quickly put the third set in the rearview mirror and responded with its best offensive set of the season in the fourth.
The Eagles committed just two attack errors and hit .464 in the frame. Midway took control with seven unanswered points, getting kills from Alyssa Medeiros and Mayson Delong, a service ace from Mayme Powell and a block from Delong and Morgan Broderick.
The dominant fourth-set performance allowed the Eagles to even the match at two sets apiece and force a decisive fifth.
Midway carried that momentum into the final set. Nyla Gaines and Cornelius recorded consecutive kills as the Eagles jumped out to a 7-4 advantage, putting Midway just eight points away from its first victory of the season.
The Eagles continued to hold an 8-6 lead before Georgetown made its biggest push of the night. The Tigers rattled off seven unanswered points to turn the two-point deficit into a 13-8 advantage. Georgetown held on from there to complete the comeback and take the match, three sets to two.
Reagan Kupper led Georgetown with a match-high 16 kills while adding four service aces and hitting .256. Reagan Miller distributed 23 assists, while libero Paula Rueda recorded 16 digs.
McClanahan turned in the best performance of her young collegiate career, leading the Eagles with a career-high 14 kills while adding three digs.
Midway's two setters both surpassed 20 assists, with Powell recording 24 and Peyton Osteen adding 23. Defensively, Powell and Laycock finished with 11 digs apiece to lead the Eagles.
With the victory, Georgetown improves to 2-1 on the season, while Midway falls to 0-5.
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UP NEXT:
Midway travels to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods this weekend to compete in the Showdown in the Woods. The Eagles open tournament play on Friday, Aug. 28, at 3 p.m.
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