Midway’s Raiders battled a tough Trask team Monday night for a chance to move on in the Tri-County volleyball tournament. And while they lost some of their intensity halfway through the match, it came down to who wanted it more, and Midway did, winning in five sets — 25-20; 20-25; 11-25; 25-20; 15-12.
“We had our moments,” said a tired and hoarse coach Heather Johnson after the game. “We started out playing really good, and then we quit talking… pretty soon we got down on ourselves like we always do, then suddenly we found ourselves behind.”
It was Raider Farrah Jackson who rallied her teammates in the fourth set. Johnson said Jackson had been out all last week due to illness, but came roaring back today, igniting her team when they needed it most.
“She played a fantastic game,” Johnson stressed. “She had a couple of really good hits and she got 5 kills in the fourth set, which made a big difference.”
Then Kaitlyn Jackson provided some critical serves in the fifth and final set to give the Raiders the edge they needed to get the win. “She was serving really well today,” Johnson said Monday.
In the end, Johnson said, it all boiled down to who wanted it most, and Midway, though sluggish at points, had the hunger when it counted.
“Trask was hitting the ball really well, but when we decided we wanted it, we went after it and we won the game,” Johnson acknowledged.
In addition to the two Jackson girls, Raiders who came up big Monday included Jada Cannady, 11 kills; Jennifer Blackmon, 7 kills; and Elizabeth McCullen, 2 kills.
The No. 4 seeded Raiders must now face a powerhouse Lakewood team in the second round Tuesday. Game time is 6:30 p.m. at Union High School.
Johnson said the Raiders, who’ve lost to their county rival twice this season, had to go into the game ready and focused. “They’ve got to come ready to play and then play aggressively on both sides of the ball. Mostly importantly they’ve got to come hungry.”
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