Carson volleyball outlasts Reed in five set thriller

The Carson High girls volleyball team needed nearly every point Tuesday night, but the Senators prevailed over Reed in a five-set thriller, 24-26, 25-17, 15-25, 26-24, 15-13. 

The Senators bested Reed 2-0 during a tournament on Aug. 24, but needed a little more resolve to stave off the Raiders on Tuesday. 

After tumbling through the third set with a number of errors, the Senators jumped out to a 10-4 lead early in the fourth set behind several kills from hitter Cami Larkin.

Emily Bell and Carissa Willey also got involved, but as the Raiders crept back into the set it was Larkin who posted three kills and a block to push Carson back out in front 17-13.

Larkin ended the match with 15 kills and a .577 attacking percentage.

“I don’t think she got blocked all night,” said Carson volleyball coach Robert Maw.

The Senators led 21-17 in the fourth set before the confidence flipped in favor of the Raiders as Reed moved in front 24-23 with a potential match point to put the contest out of reach.

Bell received a lofted ball in the back row and pounded it to space for one of her 16 kills to knot the set up at 24-all before the Senators closed out the final two points to force a decisive fifth set.

The fifth set embodied the first four as both teams traded blows back and forth in an effort to take command of the match.

After momentarily leaving the contest following an awkward fall at the end of the third set, Carson junior libero Camille Kordonoway returned to the floor in the final set and scooped up a couple of balls off the floor to keep the Senators alive.

“She’s got tremendous heart. A limb can be broken and she’d want to be back in the game,“ Maw said. “She’s a great voice on our team.”

Carson took an 11-10 lead after the Senators won a point by playing the ball out of the net, but proceeded to give the point right back with a missed serve.

A couple of attacking errors by the Raiders put Carson up 14-11, but back-to-back attacking errors by the Senators left Reed with a chance to serve to tie things up.

Reed’s final serve of the contest sailed wide as the Senator players erupted in celebration on their side of the floor.

Carson ended the match with 51 kills as a team, 46 of which were assisted by sophomore Olivia Smith, who is playing her first year of varsity volleyball.

“We’ve been working a lot with our setters trying to connect with our hitters,“ said Maw. “She’s a young setter. … Connections were big and important for us today (Tuesday).”

Finally at home

It took the Senators 13 official matches to play one in front of their home crowd, something Maw relished in as he watched his team celebrate the win with the Carson student section in attendance.

“It’s great to get home. The girls like that and we have a great crowd. We appreciate that and it’s awesome,“ said Maw.

UP NEXT: Carson (8-5) will get back to action Thursday in Sparks where they will take on Spanish Springs (1-5).