Carson spikers outlast Galena in 5

Momentum comes and goes in a volleyball match, and Carson's 3-2 win over Galena was proof of that.

Carson seized the momentum in the opening match, lost it in the middle two games and regained it late in the fourth game and went on to a 25-12, 18-25, 14-25, 25-23 and 15-12 victory Tuesday night at Morse Burley Gym.

Carson, led by Jeanette Van Sickle's 14 kills and 10 more from Elysse Virden, improved to 6-3, while Galena dropped to 5-4.

Carson head coach Justin Malley credited his team's hustle in the last couple of games for the comeback.

"Coach (Robert) Maw runs a drill called dig and dive," Malley said. "It's where we go after everything and not just swings. We play everything out.

"Elysse played better. She played fine. I know she is capable of a lot more."

Carson, just as it did in the opening game, got off to another fast start in the fifth and deciding game by scoring nine of the first 12 points.

Kills by Van Sickle and Virden helped Carson to a 3-1 lead. After a kill by Megan Schmauder (three kills, six digs) made it 3-2, another kill by Van Sickle and two Galena errors made it 6-2. Galena scored again, but a Van Sickle kill, another kill by Virden and an ace by Van Sickle made it 9-3.

Carson got its lead up to 11-5, but two kills by Emily Burns (14 kills, 3 blocks, 11 digs) helped Galena tie it at 11. Carson scored four of the next five points, two on long hits and one on a net violation. Alyson Christl added a kill in that span.

"We played well the last four games," said Galena coach Megan Svare. "The first game we didn't show up. Once we started passing the ball it made all the difference.

"We just weren't passing (in the fifth game) off the serve. We have to play aggressively. We didn't put balls away. When we pass the ball well, we do everything else."

Van Sickle got off to a fast start in the opening game with three quick kills to spark the Senators to a 9-2 lead. A kill by Schmauder and a net violation closed the gap to 9-4, but Carson scored six of the next nine points for a 15-7 lead thanks to a kill by Virden and two blocks and a kill by Christa McGahuey.

After a tip by Marissa Piccinini made it 15-8, Carson scored four straight on kills by Van Sickle and Christl plus two Galena ballhandling errors. Galena never got closer than nine pints the rest of the way.

In Game 2, Galena had leads of 12-6 and 17-10 thanks to the play of Emily Burns, who finished with 14 kills, three blocks and 11 digs. Two aces by Kristalei Wolfe helped Carson cut the deficit to 18-15.

Galena scored seven of the next 10 to even the match at a game apiece.

Galena jumped Carson in game 3, scoring 11 of the first 13 points. Carson, thanks to a couple of kills by Christl and one by Virden, trimmed the lead to 18-13. The Grizzlies scored seven of the next eight, as Carson mishit two spikes, Burns contributed two spikes and Kelsey Gunderson served up an ace.

In the fourth game, Carson held leads between three and five points most of the way. Trailing 17-12, Galena went on an 8-1 roll for a 20-18 lead. Virden had Carson's only point in that span.

Christl's ace gave Carson a 21-20 lead. Galena tied the game at 21 on a kill by Gunderson. After a Galena mishit, Sarah Lushina dropped a soft spike in the middle of Galena's defense for a 23-21 lead. After Galena scored to make it 23-22, Van Sickle hit one off Burns to make it 24-22. Burns came back with a nice tip before Lushina closed it out with a kill.

In JV action, Galena won in three, 17-25, 28-26 and 15-8. No other information was provided.