It did little to kill the momentum. A miscue at the net tied the game at 22-22 before Shumate and Sarah Latham put the Jags up and on set point. A service error forced it to come on a side-out, but Latham stepped up to seal the 25-23 win and tie the match.
Spain Park carried that momentum into the third set, one it led wire-to-wire. Thompson tried to keep it close but took two early timeouts at 10-5 and 12-6 while trying to stop the momentum. However, the Jags lead grew all the way to 21-10 by dominating all around the floor, securing kills from both the pins and back row plus a Madden Scott ace and even a block.
A service error opened the door for the Warriors to respond, and they did to the tune of a 10-0 run. Henderson dominated with multiple kills and got help from Jayla Green at the service line to cut it to 21-20.
Shumate ended the run with a kill, and the Jags got the benefit of a hitting error and block to get on set point. Just like the second set though, a service error made Spain Park get the final kill on a side-out, and Shumate obliged with a blistering strike to cap the 25-21 third-set win.
The Jags got off to an even hotter start in the third set, forcing a Thompson timeout with an opening 5-1 run before a Shumate kill made it 11-2. The Warriors responded with a 6-0 run that set them up to tie the set at 14-14.
The two teams remained tightly matched for the next few points before a block helped Spain Park go up 18-15. An error put the two teams in another close battle, and Henderson eventually tied the set at 20-20.
Spain Park didn’t call timeout and trusted its offense to get out of the bind. It did just that as Shumate won a battle at the net, and that carried into a Maggie Cline ace and Thompson hitting error to give the Jags a 23-20 lead.
Latham won a point off a long swing that got tipped, but Henderson grabbed two kills in three points to help the Warriors keep pace. However, Thompson subbed in a new server on the second match point, and an immediate service error handed Spain Park the 25-22 fourth-set win.
Kisor credited the constant road tests that the Jags have faced with only having three home matches so far and just five total on the season. He believes playing great opponents in hostile environments prepares them well for the road ahead.
He especially credited a tough four-set loss to Jasper and former Jags coach Kellye Bowen on Thursday for testing his team greatly, ultimately turning into a runner-up finish at HeffStrong and Tuesday’s resilient win.
“It was one of those things that we thought we needed that, it was like when we needed that that atmosphere, and I thought they were prepared and ready, and they showed their heart,” Kisor said. “I thought we started swinging, we got Peyton (Harrington) going a little bit on the outside, and I think when she goes like that, everybody else goes.”
Spain Park, now 26-5 and 1-0 in area play, will look to take those lessons into another crucial area match at the Prattville Lions on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.
Thompson drops to 15-8 and 1-1 in area play. The Warriors will finish area play on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. when they host the Oak Mountain Eagles.