Lady Vikes rally for a fifth set, fall 3-2 to Shenandoah in hard fought battle

AVOCA — The AHSTW Lady Vikes showed plenty of fight Tuesday night, rallying from a nine-point deficit in the fourth set before ultimately falling to Shenandoah in a five-set thriller, 25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10.

The Lady Vikes finished with 30 kills, 18 solo blocks and 68 digs in the five-set battle, but Shenandoah held on in the deciding set to escape with the victory.

Bella Lamp led AHSTW’s attack with 29 assists, while Addison Carroll added 11 kills and Macey Goshorn finished with nine. Kennedy Wyman contributed seven kills, while Maeleigh Rold added three.

Wyman also led the Lady Vikes defensively with 18 digs, while Keilyn Goodman recorded 10 digs in two sets of action.

Reese Knop added nine digs, with Lamp recording eight total blocks and Rold six.

The opening set was a back-and-forth affair early, but Shenandoah eventually created some separation with an 8-3 advantage.

AHSTW battled back behind an ace from Carroll and a kill from Wyman, cutting the deficit to 14-13.

Wyman continued to put pressure on the Mustangs from the service line, helping the Lady Vikes tie the set at 14-14. 

The teams continued trading points before Shenandoah pulled away late and secured a 25-21 victory.

The Lady Vikes jumped ahead 4-3 and extended the advantage to 9-5 behind strong play at the net and an ace from Goshorn.

Shenandoah rallied to tie the set at 13-13, but AHSTW answered.

A huge block from Lamp helped halt the Mustangs’ run, while Goshorn added a push to the back corner to put AHSTW back in front 15-14.

The Lady Vikes maintained control from there. Rold and Wyman combined for a block to make it 22-19, and Wyman followed with a kill before AHSTW closed out the set 25-21 to even the match.

Shenandoah came out strong in the third set, taking an 8-4 lead and eventually building a 15-7 advantage. AHSTW continued to battle, with Goshorn recording a well-placed tip and Wyman and Rold coming up with key plays.

Wyman’s kill made it 19-15, while Rold followed with a strong shot to bring the Lady Vikes within six at 22-16. Shenandoah, however, finished the set 25-19 to regain the match lead at 2-1.

AHSTW led early in the fourth set, but Shenandoah gradually took control and opened up a 22-12 advantage.

Instead of allowing the match to end, the Lady Vikes mounted a furious rally.

Wyman started the comeback with an ace to make it 22-18.

Lamp then came up with a block, followed by a Carroll kill that cut the deficit to 22-20.

Goshorn added a kill, and two consecutive Shenandoah errors brought AHSTW all the way back to a 22-22 tie.

Another Mustang error gave the Lady Vikes a 23-22 lead before Shenandoah tied it at 23-23.

Carroll then delivered one of the biggest swings of the night, recording a kill to put AHSTW on set point. Another Shenandoah error completed the comeback as the Lady Vikes won 25-23, forcing a fifth set.

AHSTW opened with a block from Goshorn and Carroll before Carroll later tied the set at 3-3 with a masterful tip. Lamp followed with an ace to put the Lady Vikes ahead 4-3.

Shenandoah responded and eventually took a 6-4 lead, but Carroll continued to keep AHSTW within striking distance with another kill.

Rold and Rice combined for a strong block that gave the Lady Vikes a 7-6 advantage.

The Mustangs answered again, tying the set at 8-8 before taking a 10-8 lead on an ace from Lyndie Green.

AHSTW remained within reach, with Lamp recording another block to make it 12-10, but Shenandoah finished off the fifth set 15-10 to secure the five-set victory.

Despite the loss, AHSTW’s 21 total blocks and 68 digs showed the Lady Vikes’ defensive effort throughout the night, while the team continued to battle through a match that featured several momentum swings.

Wyman finished with seven kills, 18 digs and three aces, while Lamp had 29 assists, eight blocks and two aces. Carroll added 11 kills, five digs, four blocks and an ace, while Goshorn recorded nine kills, four blocks, one dig and two aces.

The Lady Vikes had a short turn around and returned to action Thursday night against Underwood to continue Western Iowa Conference play.