By Eric Avissar
Robinson High School Senior, DigitalSports Intern
With senior night coming earlier than usual this season, the Robinson girls volleyball team had emotions running high with a sense of urgency to win. With tears flowing from senior players’ faces before the game started, the Rams were able to channel their emotions into a three-game win by a score of 25-23, 26-24, 26-24 in compelling fashion.
“Tonight was my last four years recapped,” said senior Marian Dougherty (game-high eight service points) who was later overcome with tears. “To be able to win tonight the way we did as a team, it means everything to me.”
The first game set the tone for the evening, as the teams played to ties at 4, 6, and 8 in the early going. Robinson junior Bridget Duffy made the first authoritative play of the game with a block that gave the Rams an 8-6 lead. Senior Carleigh Peterson then opened up her final home game with a **** and block on the visiting Cougars on the same point, extending the Rams’ lead to 15-11. The Cougars stayed focused amidst the noisy home fans, and came back to knot the score at 17.
Robinson called time out when Oakton, holding a 23-21 lead, threatened to win the first game, and the Rams emerged re-invigorated from the break. Robinson quickly rallied and took a one-point lead at 24-23 to reach game point. The final play of the first game concluded when Rams’ senior Candice Tussing sent a thundering spike cross-court that landed right on the back line.
“I didn’t really have time to think about it,” Tussing said. “We just had to play every point like it was the end of the game, and it was a big point, because we won our first game while we were all feeling like we would go crazy.”
Oakton drew first blood in Game 2, notching the opening point on a **** by sophomore Samantha Olsen. But the Cougars were unable to maintain the momentum on the road, and Robinson overtook the lead. Sophomore phenom Susie Murach, who played sparingly in the first game, had her first **** attempt initially called long, but it was swiftly switched to good to give the Rams a 6-3 advantage.
Robinson Coach Jill Pearson decided to sub out senior captains Bailey Banks and Tussing when they marched to an 8-4 lead, but called another time out shortly after the lead had thinned to 8-7. The Cougars reclaimed the lead at 9-8, but the Rams notched another 13-10 lead with junior Erin Rowe delivering an ace. Oakton sophomore Marissa Sheffield made a critical block to tie the game at 14. With stalemates again at 15 and 16, it appeared the second game was destined for another close finish.
Murach played a critical role late, remaining calm and poised after missing two straight spikes. She followed those misses with a **** and an ace to cut Oakton’s lead to 21-20. With Tussing and fellow senior Marian Dougherty registering back-to-back blocks, the Rams seemed destined to once again win 25-23, but a gutsy **** from Olsen temporarily tied the score at 24. Still, the Rams won the second game on a botched dig attempt from the opposition.
The third — and what proved to be the final — game began with Tussing making one of her game-high 11 kills to help the Rams open a 3-0 lead. Oakton continued to battle, with Sheffield making a deceptively effective topspin **** to cut the Robinson lead to 8-6. But it was Rams’ senior Wynn Prusaczyk who came up with a clutch performance, pacing Robinson with four kills and three blocks in the final game, including one denial that gave the Rams a 17-11 lead.
Once again, though, the Cougars clawed their way back to a tie at 19. A Prusaczyk block gave the Rams breathing room with a 23-21 lead, but Oakton pocketed their first and only game-point of the night when Murach had a **** attempt deflected off the ceiling, followed by a miss by the sophomore soon after. Murach closed out the match in exciting fashion, sending a **** shot right into the ground to clinch victory.
The Rams were also led by senior Bailey Banks, who had a game-high 20 assists, Erin Rowe with made 11 digs.
“We played three very close games tonight, and we were able to win all three of them with the energy we had going,” Pearson said. “All of our seniors gave outstanding performances together tonight.”
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