BATTLE OF UNBEATENS … Hilltop’s Elena VanArsdalen hits a serve in the Cadets win at Stryker. VanArsdalen was 22/23 serving for 16 points and two aces on the night. (PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Nate Calvin
STRYKER (October 3, 2023) – There was a point in Tuesday night’s matchup of BBC unbeatens at Stryker that Hilltop’s 19-game BBC winning streak looked to be in jeopardy.
After the teams split the first two sets, Stryker held a commanding 17-9 lead in the pivotal third set.
Hilltop would turn it around behind the play of Libbie Baker at the net to storm back and win the third set and cruised in the fourth to clinch the win 23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-12.
The win combined with Pettisville’s loss to Montpelier on Tuesday puts Hilltop alone in first place in the BBC.
It was Stryker with the rally in the first set as the Panthers won the set after trailing early. A couple kills by Brynn Rodriguez and Baker helped the Cadets jump out to an early 8-4 lead.
Stryker followed with a 7-0 surge to take an 11-8 advantage resulting in the Cadets taking their first timeout of the frame.
Stryker would maintain their lead increasing it to 16-12 before Hilltop’s first big scoring run of the night (6-0) to retake the lead at 18-16.
Stryker managed to tie the score at 19 before a 3-0 spurt by Hilltop put the visitors ahead 22-19. Stryker answered back with three straight points ending with a kill by Aubrey Clemens to make it 22-22.
After a Hilltop point, Stryker would get the last three points of the set as Emma Fulk slammed home a kill in the middle of the Hilltop defense to close out a 25-23 Stryker first set victory.
It was a fast start for Hilltop to open the second frame behind the serving of Elena VanArsdalen as she served the first seven points of the set before Stryker got on the board.
A 7-1 Hilltop lead grew to 13-4 helped by a block and kill from Baking leading to a Stryker timeout.
The Cadets continued to control the set, increasing their lead to 23-13 and eventually a 25-18 win to square the match at a set apiece.
VanArsdalen started the third set the same as the second by serving Hilltop’s first four points before back-to-back points from Stryker’s Emma Fulk cut the Hilltop lead to 4-2.
A Clemens kill tied things at 7-7 and led to a 6-2 spurt by Stryker to push the lead to 13-9. Following a Hilltop timeout, another kill from Clemens and a point by Fulk increased the Stryker lead to 17-9.
Hilltop would chip away at the deficit as two kills and a block by Baker and then a point by Joscelyn Layman capped off a 10-4 Cadet run to trim the deficit to 21-19.
A Hilltop error gave Stryker a 22-21 lead before a kill by Rodriguez and two straight Stryker errors put Hilltop in front 24-22.
Stryker battled back to square things at 24, before Hilltop would get the last two points of the set to complete the comeback and win the set 26-24.
Momentum was clearly on Hilltop’s side in the fourth set, as VanArsdalen served the first four points and three consecutive errors by the Panthers gave Hilltop an 11-2 lead.
The lead ballooned to 21-7 for Hilltop and Rodriguez would finish off the set and match for Hilltop with her 13th kill of the night for the final point.
Rodriguez also had 12 digs, Baker went 43/45 hitting with 25 kills and VanArsdalen was 22/23 serving and 68/69 setting with 21 assists for Hilltop.
Fulk recorded 12 kills and 18 digs for Stryker while Reiss Creighton topped the Panthers in assists with 13.
Hilltop d. Stryker 23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-12
Hilltop (17-2, 4-0 BBC) – Eleana VanArsdalen: 22/23 serving (16 pts), 2 aces, 68/69 setting, 21 assists; Brynn Rodriguez: 30/38 hitting, 13 kills, 12 digs; Libbie Baker: 21/21 serving (13 pts), 43/45 hitting, 25 kills
Stryker (9-9, 3-1 BBC) – Emma Fulk: 29/34 hitting 12 kills, 18 digs; Reiss Creighton: 13 assists; Abby Oberlin: 39/46 hitting, 6 kills, 22/23 serving 3 aces, 12 digs
Junior Varsity: Hilltop, 25-20, 19-25, 25-14
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com
