No. 12 Canton rallies past No. 21 Brownsboro in five sets

Published 8:45 pm Tuesday, September 27, 2022

CANTON — Tuesday night’s District 16-4A volleyball matchup between two state-ranked foes lived up to the billing.

No. 21 Brownsboro went into enemy territory and took a 2-0 lead on No. 12 Canton.

The Eaglettes clawed back, though, and eventually forced a fifth set. In that fifth set, Brownsboro used a late 4-0 run to cut the score to 14-13. Payton Bray then delivered one of her many kills of the night to give Canton the 3-2 victory (23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-13).

“We have something to lose,” Canton head coach Autumn Loyd said. “We’re 4-0 (in district), and that’s what I reminded them of that we have something to lose. I also reminded them that great teams show mental strength and perseverance. Perseverance is going to be built by winning these next three sets. I believe that’s the first time we’ve come down from a two-set deficit, so that’s a big win for us, to be able to have the mental strength and capacity to do that.”

“I think we just reminded each other that we’re playing for each other and together as a team,” Bray said. “This one was really important for us since we had gone undefeated all through district. And I really think we held each other accountable, which helped us to win this game. I think we all have the mindset where we don’t want to lose, and we don’t want to lose for our teammates. And I really think that helps us persevere through the game.”

Canton jumped out to a 15-9 lead in the opening set. With the Eaglettes leading 21-18, the Beareattes went on a 5-0 run to take the lead. With the score at 24-23, Brownsboro got a kill from Khayla Garrett on an assist by Rilee Rinehart to take the first set.

Brownboro scored the first four points of the second set before Canton answered with four straight points of its own. With Canton leading 14-12, Brownsboro used a 7-1 spurt to take a 19-15 lead. The Bearettes went on to take another 25-23 win to lead 2-0.

With Canton up 14-10 in the third set, Brownsboro rallied to tie the score. Up 17-16, Canton used an 8-2 run, capped by a kill from Allison Rickman to keep the match alive.

Brownsboro led 11-7 in the fourth set, but Canton used a 13-2 stretch to take a 20-13 lead. Airianna Pickens had multiple kills and blocks for the Eaglettes in that span.

With the score at 23-21, Canton got a kill by Rickman and then the next ball went out of bounds to force a fifth set.

In that decisive set, Brownsboro got up 4-2 before Pickens delivered three kills as part of a 4-0 Canton run.

With the score tied at 9, Bray had three kills in a 5-0 spurt to give the Eaglettes a 14-9 lead.

Twins Khyra and Khayla Garrett helped Brownsboro cut the score to 14-13 before Bray’s kill ended the match.

“I was shocked I got moved to the outside, but from then on, my teammates really helped me bring up the energy, and we were all fired up,” Bray said.

Brownsboro (18-7, 3-2) will host Cumberland Academy on Friday. Canton (23-7, 5-0) will host No. 17 Van (21-9, 5-0) on Friday.

“I told the girls that it was going to be an exhausting week and just be prepared for it to be exhausting,” Loyd said. “I am very proud of them. They’ve come a very long way how they were mentally in the preseason. I’m very proud of the team I’m seeing right now.”