When two undefeated teams match up in any capacity, you expect to see a quality display. What the spectators at Mechanicsville High School got on Thursday was that and then some, witnessing an epic five-set thriller between the hosting Mustangs and their county rival Atlee Raiders.
The Raiders jumped out to a two-set lead (25-18, 25-21) against the Mustangs, but faced a stern challenge when the Mustangs battled back with a resounding response in the third set to avoid the sweep (25-17) and then proceeded to claw their way to a 29-27 fourth set win to force a tiebreaker. The Raiders maintained control despite a raucous home crowd going against them, breaking the deadlock with a 15-7 fifth set win to move to 7-0 on the season. The loss ends an 8-game win streak for the Mustangs.
Junior Blake Crawford led the way for the Raiders, delivering crucial kill after critically crucial kill on the left side of the net, though the Mustangs defended their side effectively against the reigning region player of the year. Mechanicsville libero Ella Davis played a key role in the team’s defensive success, delivering clutch digs throughout the contest, while the team’s attacking was headlined by consistent service from junior Sorrell Alexander and kills from senior Georgia Tyler.
After a go-ahead kill from Crawford to make it 11-10 in the opening set, the Raiders outscored the Mustangs 14-8 to take a 1-0 lead. That momentum carried over into the second set, where they opened with an early 4-1 lead. The Mustangs quickly closed that gap, but Crawford delivered four straight kills for a 15-13 lead and three straight to close the set with her team on the verge of victory.
Tyler provided a much-needed jolt for the Mustangs in the third set, delivering an ace and a kill for a 4-1 lead that soon grew into a 21-14 edge. To win the set, senior Audrey Smith gave the Mustangs another ace to extend the match.
Long rallies became the story of the fourth set, including an early one that ended in an Alexander kill into the backline and another where Atlee’s Heidi Engel hit the deck for an impressive dig that didn’t stop Mechanicsville from earning the point with an Aubrey Smith kill. After Mechanicsville took a 20-15 lead, Atlee stormed back with three quick Crawford kills and a Campbell Hylton ace, bringing the Raiders to within one point of the Mustangs’ lead.
Atlee soon took a 23-22 lead, putting the Raiders on the brink of closing it out, but what transpired was a back-and-forth where neither team could gain a two-point separation. Atlee’s Ella Hoffman was close to putting her team in the driver’s seat with two consecutive points for a 27-26 advantage, but a service error and an Alexander kill flipped the script, and her teammate Tyler was able to close out the set with a kill.
The Raiders maintained a slight 6-4 edge in the fifth set after another Hoffman kill, and it grew to 10-4 after a 4-0 run out of a Mechanicsville timeout. Crawford made it 11-4 with consecutive aces, and at 14-7, it was a rally that lasted nearly 30 seconds and ended in a four-hit violation that was the final note to an intense rivalry showdown.
This week, the Raiders will look to maintain their perfect record with matchups against the Powhatan Indians (8-1), Glen Allen Jaguars (3-5) and Patrick Henry Patriots (6-7), while the Mustangs will travel to Spotsylvania (1-10) and Hanover (5-5).