Tioga knocks off Trinity Christian

Trinity Christian wasn't ready to go without a fight, but the Tioga High School volleyball team rallied from a third-game lapse to win at 3-1 at home on Tuesday night.

The Pirates looked poised to cruise after winning the first two games 25-14 and 25-15. Trinity Christian stepped up its front-row attack and had the Pirates on their heels to win the third game 25-19, and the Crusaders followed that up with an early lead in the fourth game before falling 25-19 and losing the match.

Tioga was almost up to full strength in the game after the team has been battling illness that is going around area schools.

"They played well considering we've had a few people out with sicknesses, but other than that they're finally healthy and they've come back," said Tioga coach Mandy Zerr. "The third game, they kind of slacked a little bit, but I think they like to draw it out to play a little more volleyball and make me pull my hair."

Tioga sophomore Jordan Larson led the Pirates with 13 kills, 17 digs and four blocks. Senior Paige Gohrick led the defense with 30 digs. Senior Karli Olson's 10 assists and senior Shelby Carlson's nine split the setting duties, and sophomore Meagan McGinnity took advantage of some extra playing time with five kills.

Trinity Christian fell behind 10-3 and 6-2 in the first two games, setting the stage for the losses. In the third game, a couple of early kills from junior Whitney Kitzan helped them race out to a 3-0 lead. TCS nursed the lead throughout the game, finally putting it away in a blitz that went from 15-13 to 25-19 and included key plays from junior Katie Harger and sophomore Alice Trottier and finished with a game-winning ace from Kitzan.

"I thought we started off slow, but by the end of it we were playing just about at the top of our game," said TCS coach Beth Zarling. "They really just started playing as a team. They really covered well and relied on their teammates to be where they were supposed to be. They really bonded."

Tioga 3, Trinity Christian 1

Tioga 25 25 19 25

TCS 14 15 25 19

Tioga stats

Digs - Paige Gohrick 30, Shelby Carlson 24, Katrina Kutter 23, Karli Olson 20, Jordan Larson 17, Karen Cushing 10, Meagan McGinnity 5; Assists - Olson 10, Carlson 9; Kills - Larson 13, Gohrick 5, McGinnity 5, Kutter 4, Olson 2, Puchany 1, Guttormson 1; Blocks - Larson 4; Aces - Cushing 2, Carlson 2, Olson 2, Gohrick 1

TCS stats

Digs - Ciara Walker 13, Whitney Kitzan 13, Alice Trottier 13, Megan Telehey 7, Megan Herr 6, Sarah Telehey 6; Assists - Herr 13; Kills - Kitzan 7, Trottier 6, Walker 5, Katie Harger 2, Megan Telehey 1; Aces - Kitzan 2, Walker 1, Telehey 1, Trottier 1, Harger 1

Hazen 3, Watford City 0

Watford City rallied in the second game but was no match for Hazen, which blew past the Wolves 3-0 on Tuesday night.

McKayla Haugeberg led Watford City with 11 digs and four kills, and Marti Quale had eight assists.

WC 8 24 3

Hazen 25 26 25

Watford City stats

Digs - McKayla Haugeberg 11, Olivia Sundeen 9, Sierra Perdue 6, Dani Bates 3, Marti Quale 2, Ashli Foli 2, Justine Homiston 1, Karson Pederson 1, Brianna Allex 1; Assists - Quale 8, Perdue 3, Haugeberg 1; Kills - Haugeberg 4, Pederson 3, Bates 3, Foli 3; Aces - Quale 2