BRADFORD, Pa. – La Roche volleyball had to overcome a 2-1 match deficit on Saturday afternoon and managed to do so, defeating Pitt-Bradford, 3-2, in a thrilling, five set victory.
Set one was an even 5-5 score through the first 10 points of the match, but not long after, Bradford opened a 13-7 lead.
La Roche stormed back, utilizing a 10-2 run to overtake the lead at 17-15, but quickly were back behind the Panthers, 21-19.
The Redhawks would counter the 6-2 Bradford one with one of its own, closing the set with a 25-23 victory to go ahead 1-0 in the match.
Sets two and three were all Panthers, jumping ahead early by a wide margin in both, to take 25-16 and 25-17 victories, taking the match lead at 2-1.
Set four was La Roche's turn to dominate, as the Redhawks stormed out to a 16-5 lead and cruised past Bradford, 25-11, making the match an even, 2-2 score, forcing a deciding fith set.
The final set looked as if it was going to be a breeze for La Roche, as the momentum from set four continued in the early stages, jumping out to an 8-2 lead.
The Panthers had a quick response after the Redhawks lead sat at 12-8, scoring the next six points to put the final set to match point.
La Roche would hit for a pair of points to tie the set at 14-14, fall behind, 15-14, jump ahead 16-15, then back down, 17-16.
The Redhawks never wavered, as La Roche rallied to score the final three points of the set, winning a thrilling match, 3-2, with a 19-17 victory in the deciding fifth set.
For the Redhawks, Kalli Grine led the offense with a 18 kills, with Megan Bologna following with nine. Riley Lewis led all setters with 22 assists, while Estelle Winck provided 13 on the day.
On the defensive side, Kaci DePalma pulled through with 22 digs, while Bologna provided 19, as well as 10 by Winck for the double-double. Ava Fox came through with four assisted blocks, while Grine had one solo and three assisted.
La Roche begins the final week of the regular season with a road matchup on Tuesday, Nov. 4 when they travel to Carlow. Opening serve is slated for 7 p.m.