Douglas High volleyball takes round one from Carson

MINDEN – All three sets showed the competitiveness between Douglas and Carson volleyball Thursday, but it was the Tigers who took all three by a final of 27-25, 25-23, 25-20.

The first two sets were separated by a total of four points.

Douglas and Carson sat tied at 20-20 in both, but the Tigers were able to gain an edge at the end of both.

Carson libero Camille Kordonowy, who finished with 15 digs, kept the Senators in several points, digging up lighting-fast attack attempts from Douglas.

Tied at 23-all in the opening set, Tiger middle blocker Riley Mello tipped a kill over the net for Douglas' first set point.

However, the Senators fought off that set point and another to make it 25-25 after Emily Bell pelted one of her nine kills on the night.

Douglas responded with a kill from senior hitter Anna Bertolone to go up one before the Tigers took the set on a scramble play in which the Senators tipped the ball wide. Bertolone ended the night with a team-high 17 kills.

The second set was much of the same story as neither team could gain more than a four-point edge.

An ace from Fiona Mora gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead, but before either side could blink it was 13-13.

Grace Turner gave Carson a 21-20 lead with one of her four kills, but Douglas responded with kills from Brook McCullough and Mello gave the Tigers a 24-22 lead.

Camryn Quilling brought Carson within one with a kill of her own, but Anna Bertolone sent a kill careening into the Tiger student section to end the set 25-23.

"We're giving up too many unforced errors," said Carson head coach Robert Maw.

Despite being down 2-0, the Senators continued to trade blows with Douglas through most of the third set.

Back-to-back aces from Bell put Carson down one, 20-19, and forced a Douglas timeout.

Out of the timeout, Bell blasted a ball off a Tiger blocker but as the ball came back officials said it glanced the Senators, giving Douglas a 21-19 lead.

From there the Tigers closed the set and the match behind a kill from senior Ciera Schinzing and an ace from Mia Bertolone.

"It's always nice beating Carson," said Douglas head coach Suzi Townsell. "They were pretty darn excited. ... It was a really good team win."

League implications

Douglas finishes its first pass through league opponents with a 3-2 record, leaving the Tigers in playoff position after five of 10 league contests.

Carson falls to 1-4 in league play and will be on the outside looking in through their final five league games.

The Senators will need a couple wins down the final stretch of the season to make their playoff dreams a reality.

UP NEXT: Both teams will get next week off before picking play back up October 15.

Douglas (16-8, 3-2) will restart match play at Wooster where the Tigers will look for a season sweep of the Colts.

"We have film on everyone now. So we can get everyone's tendencies now," said Townsell. "They're really starting to gel with (our) youthfulness."

Carson (13-14, 1-4) hosts Galena at home, also looking for its second win in as many tries.