GREENCASTLE — With the volleyball regular season winding down, Southmont made the trip to South Putnam on Wednesday in what could be a potential Class 2A Sectional 41 preview. The Mounties come out on top, the visitors won with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) sweep of the Eagles.
The second set was the story of the match for both teams. With the score knotted at 18-18, the Eagles took a 23-21 advantage, and then came the rally. Southmont scored the final four points, the final two kills by freshman Ella Barry and the Mounties secured the come-from-behind win.
“That first set was the best I’ve seen us play as a team in a while,” Southmont coach Erin Barry said. “We had some small little let downs in both the first and second sets but I was so proud to see them come from down 23-21 to be able to close that second set. It was just a little fix that we made, and they stayed in it and come out on top.”
Serving was another bright spot for the Mounties in the win. Ella Barry ended with five aces with Mallory Mason adding in a pair of her own. Defensively Jenna Grino had 14 digs, Barry added 13 of her own with Mason having 12. Mason ended her night with 30 assists. Barry paced the way with 15 kills.
With 15 kills, Barry eclipsed the 200-mark for her freshman season with 209.
“Ella had a really good game and not just offensively,” Barry said. “We’ve really been working on eliminating her errors and reading where teams are trying to block her. Our overall communication on the front row was some of the best it’s been.”
The Mounties still have three games left in the regular season. Sectional opponent Parke Heritage visits Southmont on Wednesday.
“I told them that we need to use this win to play our best volleyball,” Barry concluded. “This is when we peak as we get ready for the post-season.”
