AUBURN, Wash. (GRC) — On a night the Gators Volleyball program honored its lone Sophomore,
Victoriya Borenko, the freshman-heavy roster grabbed the final West Region playoff spot.
The score was 8-7 in favor of GRC before they ran away with the opening set. The green and black went on a 17-3 run to close out the first frame 25-10. The initial 4-0 run began with an
Abby Lynne Collins kill to make it 9-7. An SPSCC attack error, then an
Aiyana Brown kill after an
Evelina Mykhalchuk and
Norah Frame block, pushed the lead to 11-7.
Riria Fujiwara then had an ace to force the Clippers to call a timeout. After the timeout, the Gators went on a 10-1 run capped by a Frame block as the scoreboard read 22-8. The set ended with a
Macy Bonavente block.
South Puget Sound won set number two by a tally of 25-20.
Green River had a 5-2 advantage in the third set after a SPS service error. However, the Clippers rallied to take the lead 7-6. Another SPSCC service error tied the set at 7-7. GRC took the lead again on a Mykhalchuk and Collins block. A Brown kill off the pass from Mykhalchuk pushed the margin to 9-7. The visitors called a timeout down by two. The Clippers regained control at 13-12 as they then pushed their lead to 15-12. Now, Green River called a timeout, and eventually knotted the set 18-18. The back-and-forth affair continued until SPSCC had set point with the Gators trailing by two. An error on the away side and a block from Frame tied the set again 24-24. The teams traded points to make the score 25 all. Brown then had one of her 24 kills on the night to give GRC a one-point lead. An SPS attack error pushed the lead to two as GRC grabbed set number three, 27-25.
The fourth set was a close one as well. With the score tied 14-14, Brown was able to find some hardwood on the SPS side of the net to give GRC the one-point lead. They would hold the lead the rest of the way. The advantage grew to 22-16 as Bonavente tooled the Clipper block, one of her nine kills on the night. The lead was 23-20 for the Gators when back-to-back errors from the Clippers secured the win for Green River.
The Gators clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2014.
This was the Green and black's 14th win of the season and sixth victory in West Region play. GRC is now 7-4 at home.
Fujiwara set a new season high in digs with 39; she was all over the place defensively.
Mykhalchuk dished out 37 assists, her second-best mark of the year. Mykhalchuk added four aces too.
Frame set a new season best with 10 kills and tied her season high in digs with five.
Bonavente chipped in 15 digs as well; Brown accounted for 11 digs of her own.
Next up for GRC is a trip to rival Highline on Friday, October 30th at 6:00 p.m.
You can rewatch the action
HERE
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