THREE OAKS, Mich. - It seemed like River Valley and Cassopolis were looking to get in the record books for the most evenly matchd high school volleyball game ever played Oct. 27 at River Valley. Until a 7-5 Cassopolis run to close out the clinching fourth game, the Mustangs and Rangers seemed to match each other serve for serve, and point for point.
The Rangers did prevail in four games, defeating the host Mustangs 25-23, 25-27, 30-28, 25-23. All games were decided by the minimum two-point margain, with two of the games needing more than 25 points to declare a winner.
"It was a good match, both teams are pretty even and both came to play," River Valley head coach Jim Ragosta said. "All in all, it was a good defensive match on both sides."
The first sign that the contest pitted two nearly equal teams came right away as Cassopolis and River Valley went back and forth for the first 12 points of Game One to even the score at six. The Mustangs were the first to open up a lead of more than two with a 7-1 run midway through the first on serving runs from Morgan Adkins and Erika Smith. The Mustangs led 21-18 at one point, but a 4-0 Cassopolis run gave the Rangers a 22-21 lead and allowed them to hold on for a 25-23 Game One victory.
"Cass was doing some things different in the middle and we just couldn't execute (down the stretch)," Ragosta said. "We got caught up in the run defense at times."
River Valley began Game Two as the agressor, taking a 6-0 lead before a 10-3 Cassopolis run gave the Rangers an 11-10 edge midway through the game. The second close game of the series was the only one to go the way of the Mustangs, and they pulled it off in exciting fashion. Trailing 25-24, River Valley went on a 3-0 run to close out the game with Adkins serving. On the game's clinching point, Adkins recorded a service ace that bounced right between a pair of Cassopolis defenders.
But as exciting as the first two games were, nothing could prepare the crowd for a go-ahead Game Three that just didn't want to end.
Like Game Two, River Valley controlled the third contest, leading by four on three different occasions. After leading 1-0, Cassoplis did not see the lead again until 22-21. But the Mustangs were in position to go ahead in the series, leading 24-23 with control of the ball and Adkins serving. But an error on the serve gave the Rangers new life. After matching point-for-point after the 25-all tie, the Rangers finally prevailed with a 30-28 win.
"Were were in position to win, we just needed to deliver," Ragosta said. "We had four chances to win and we net served three of those. We're not going to win doing that."
"That was a tough one."
Game Four played out much like the first three, a contest that had to wait for the final point to determine the winner. River Valley trailed 15-11, but a 5-0 run with first time setter Emerald Kioutsis on the baseline gave the Mustangs a one-point lead. But Kioutsis' run was immediately followed by a 3-0 Cassopolis surge. With the Rangers leading 24-20, the tight knit battle looked to finally be nearing a conclusion. But the Mustangs put together another 3-0 run, only to see their final comeback attempt thwarted by an impressive kill that clinched the game for the Rangers, 25-23.
Even in a loss, Ragosta applauds the Mustangs for their effort.
"I was really happy for my kids," he said. "We did some really good things and this is probably the best match we played all year. From where we were to where we are at, it is fantastic."
The Mustangs enter the Lake Michigan Catholic District Tournament with a first round match-up against Michigan Lutheran at LMC Monday, Nov. 1.
