MIRANDA — Facing match point twice in the fifth and deciding game, the Upper Lake Cougars rallied from 16-15 and 17-16 deficits to beat the South Fork Cubs in a 25-16, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 19-17 nail-biter Thursday night during non-league varsity volleyball action at Miranda.
The marathon match took nearly three hours to complete.
Bobbielynn Collins served the final two points in game five to give Upper Lake (2-1) the win. Collins also had 10 kills in the match.
“It was definitely a challenge,” Upper Lake coach Sandy Coatney said. “I was experimenting with lineups and that contributed to it.”
Coatney used his standard lineup in game one before mixing things up in games two and three, which the Cougars lost. He went back to his normal lineup in game four.
“Their composure was pretty amazing,” Coatney said of his players.
Kat Edmonds led the Cougars with 15 kills and two blocks. Amber McQueen and Olivia Carter added five kills apiece while Kelsey Pearl led the team in aces with four.
Pearl and Crystal Mendoza were standouts at setter, according to Coatney.
“They did a fantastic job sharing the setting duties,” he said.
In other non-league volleyball action Thursday:
Healdsburg def. Kelseyville
At Healdsburg, sometimes you just have a bad night. That was the case for the Kelseyville Knights, 25-13, 25-12, 25-12 losers to the Healdsburg Greyhounds.
It was the third home match in as many nights for the Greyhounds, all against Lake County opponents. They lost to Clear Lake in five games on Tuesday and beat Middletown in three games on Wednesday.
“Their serving was better than our passing,” Kelseyville coach Donelle McCallister said. “I really don”t have anything else to say.”
Kelseyville, Lower Lake and Middletown are all entered in the Healdsburg Tournament on Saturday. Among the other competing teams are St. Helena, El Molino and Marin Catholic.
Healdsburg also beat Kelseyville in the junior varsity match, winning in two games.
