Northpoint Christian moved ahead in the TSSAA Division II-A West Region volleyball quarterfinals Monday, surviving an early challenge in a 3-1 victory over Harding Academy in a match played at Northpoint. Set scores were 20-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-17.
The visitors won the opening set 25-20. Northpoint took an early 5-2 lead, but Harding tied the set at 7-7 and again at 9-9, before taking the lead for good at 10-9. Another point scored by the Lady Lions had Northpoint taking a timeout.
However, Harding continued to take the game to Northpoint and at 18-13, the Lady Trojans called another timeout.
The Lady Lions increased the lead to 20-13 but that was when Northpoint rallied to get within 23-19 Harding and the Lady Lions asked for a timeout. Harding scored two of the last three points to win the set.
Northpoint took the second set 25-11 but it wasn’t easy. Neither Harding or the Lady Trojans held more than a one-point advantage until Northpoint was able to start a three-point string for a 15-12 lead and a Harding timeout. Northpoint scored six of the next 10 points for a 21-16 advantage and another Harding timeout. A four-hit call gave Northpoint a 22-17 lead and the Lady Trojans won the set when Rylee Grace Davis served an ace.
The intense play in the second set seemed to affect Harding the most as Northpoint raced out to a 15-3 lead in the third set. The lead became 17-5 when Harding coach Michael Sansone was tagged with a red card as he protested a four-hit call against his team. The card gave Northpoint a point and the serve at 17-5.
Addie Kate O’Bar served an ace to increase the lead to 22-8, a kill put Northpoint at the doorstep at 24-10, and the Lady Trojans went on to win the set 25-11.
The deciding set was won by Northpoint 25-17 in a set that began close before the Lady Trojans five of the next six points for a 10-6 edge and a Lady Lion timeout.
Another stretch of scoring put Northpoint ahead 15-11 and another five straight points increased the margin to 20-11. A block for a point by Isis Reid got Northpoint to 24-15 and on their way to the final 25-17 score.
For the match, Quinn Thurman had 22 kills, 16 digs, and one ace; Isis Reid also served one ace; Renee Hastings had 5 blocks; and Sophie Bauer made 30 assists. Northpoint next plays St. George’s (Collierville) in the region tournament at Trinity Academy in Jackson, Tennessee on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
