Photo: Northpoint Christian’s Val Hurdle volleys past the block of Lewisburg’s Gwen Tuffield (11) and Mary Olivia Barnes (30) during Tuesday five-set Lady Trojan victory. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. — Northpoint Christian stormed back from two sets down to defeat Lewisburg in a five-set volleyball thriller Tuesday night, 3-2, in a clash of two defending state champions.
Set scores were 22-25, 20-25, 25-11, 25-21, 15-9.
Northpoint, last year’s TSSAA Division II-A champion, heads into its playoffs next week with momentum, while Lewisburg, the reigning MHSAA 7A champion, now turns its focus to defending its Mississippi crown.
Lewisburg took control early, winning the first two sets behind strong play from Mary Olivia Barnes and Gwen Tuffield. The Lady Patriots closed the opener 25-22 and captured the second 25-20 despite a late Northpoint push.
The match turned in the third set when Northpoint captain Val Hurdle sparked a decisive serving run, while Christiana Nolan and Leah Kirkpatrick powered the attack. The Lady Trojans dominated 25-11 to swing momentum.
In the fourth set, Northpoint pulled away late with kills from Kirkpatrick and Nolan and a block from Sarah Johnson to win 25-21, forcing a decisive fifth.
Northpoint jumped out quickly in the tiebreaker with kills from Nolan, Hurdle, and Kirkpatrick, along with an ace from Hadley Brown. Lewisburg fought back to within 9-7, but the Lady Trojans responded with five straight points before Hurdle sealed the 15-9 victory with a kill.
Northpoint coach Kim Robinson said the comeback showed her team’s resilience.
“We started rough, but I told them this game needed to be treated like a playoff match,” Robinson said. “They believed in each other, they competed, and they finished.”
Robinson praised setter Sarah Johnson as the team’s “calm in the storm” and credited libero Skyler Morris for battling through illness. She also highlighted Nolan and Kirkpatrick as offensive leaders and praised Hurdle’s captaincy.
Northpoint leaders:
Sarah Johnson: 59 assists, 11 digs, 1.5 blocks, 4 kills
Northpoint now heads to district play as the projected No. 1 seed, while Lewisburg prepares for another deep postseason run in Mississippi as the 7A playoffs begin.
Between the first and second sets, Lewisburg’s Mary Olivia Barnes was honored for reaching a career milestone.
Mary Olivia Barnes reached 175 career blocks during the county tournament Saturday, putting her fourth in program history. Congrats MO! @VbPatriots pic.twitter.com/zB6ELJAs36
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates and high school football play-by-play on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
