It took five sets to determine a winner after each team won two sets in a row, but it was Owensboro who ultimately had the edge and snuck out a fifth-set win by a score of 15-13 to secure the match win over Owensboro Catholic (25-20, 25-21, 16-25, 23-25, 15-13).
The Lady Devils came out of the gates looking to set the tone for the match with a 25-20 win in the opening set.
Looking to take control of the match and put the Lady Aces up against the wall, Owensboro battled and won the second set 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead. However, Owensboro Catholic wasn’t going down that easy.
The Lady Aces suddenly came to life in the third set, controlling play and walking away with a 25-16 to make it a 2-1 game.
Owensboro fought hard in the fourth set to put Owensboro Catholic away, but the Lady Aces just narrowly defeated them to 25-23 to force a fifth set.
Both teams traded points back and forth, not bowing out in order to win the match. With the game nearing its end, it was Owensboro who sealed the deal by a score of 15-13 to win the match 3-2.
The Lady Devils had a balanced attack offensively, with freshman Maya Joska (10), junior Brooklyn Williams (9), sophomore Chase Mather (7), freshman Addie Travis (7) and freshman Ava Fincher (6) combining for 39 of the team’s 43 kills.
Junior Kennedy Thompson led the way defensively with 30 digs, while Mather (18), Joska (10) and sophomore Hannah Ashley (10) all finished in double figures.
It was a trio of Owensboro players setting up the team all game long, as Joska finished with 17, junior Mia Covington finished with 12 and Fincher finished with 11.
Senior Cate Sights led the Lady Aces offensively with 25 kills, sophomore Kennedy Murphy led the way with 27 assists, while senior Emily Christian led them defensively with 37 digs.
The Lady Devils now sit at 19-12 on the season while owning a three-game winning streak and will take on Trinity (Whitesville) at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Owensboro Catholic falls to 23-11 and will look to bounce back against Trinity (Whitesville) at noon on Saturday.
