There are many peaks and valleys in a volleyball season.

Prior to Monday’s match with Southside, Greenwood was in the valley looking up. Which, after a great run wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

After going 1-5 in the Ozark, Mo., Tournament last weekend, Greenwood battled past Southside on Monday, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15, 16-25, 15-9, at Southside Gym.

“Seeing the adversity that we haven’t been seeing, and going up there (Missouri) and getting whopped, it was good for us after our winning streak,” Greenwood coach Jennifer Golden said. “This is the first match we’ve gone over three games all year. That was big for us, to pull the win out.”

Greenwood (24-7) had plenty of contributors.

Southside (19-10) came out swinging in the first set, lost the next two, and then forced a fifth game with the type of play coach Steve Haaser believes his team will need in the post-season.

“I thought it was a great match; I’m proud of our girls,” Haaser said. “Greenwood’s got an outstanding team, and we knew that coming in.”

The Mavericks played about as well as they could in the first set, building a 24-16 before holding on, 25-21.

Greenwood flipped the momentum in the second game before the Mavericks went on a furious run, turning a 17-9 deficit into a 19-19 tie on one of Hannah Holland’s 20 kills.

The Bulldogs kept firing in the third game as Lilliah Pugh and Carrie Ciesla turned an 8-7 deficit into a 17-10 advantage.

Izzy Davis’ great dig led to another Ciesla kill and an 18-10 lead.


