ST. PAULS – St. Pauls rallied from a 2-0 deficit to capture the final 3 sets and edge East Bladen 3-2 Thursday night in Three Rivers Conference volleyball action by set scores of 13-25, 24-26, 27-25, 25-23 and 15-7.
Sophmore Katie Evans opened the match with 4 straight service points, and juniors Lorna Mendell and Gracyn Martin added 2 service points each to push the lead to 13-4. Sophmore Kayleigh Raynor fired in 6 straight service points to pad the lead to 20-8, and senior Sarah Johnson served out the set with 4 consecutive service points.
A trio of service points from Raynor and Evans plus 2 service points from Martin helped put the Lady Eagles in front 17-15 in the second set. St. Pauls took a 24-22 lead, before Raynor served out the set with 4 straight service points.
A trio of service points from junior Ruth Ward and 2 service points each from Evans and Martin kept East even at 21-21 in Set 3, but a 6-4 Lady Bulldog spurt ended the set.
A trio of service points from Raynor and 4 service points from Johnson edged the Lady Eagles ahead 12-11 in the fourth set. A pair of service points by Evans put East up 15-13, before a 12-8 St. Pauls rally evened the match.
Service points from Mendell and Martin kept East within 8-7 before St. Pauls served out the match with 6 straight service points.
Raynor topped the Lady Eagles with 15 service points, 3 aces and a kill. Johnson slammed in 9 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces and 9 service points. Mendell pounded in 6 kills, 5 blocks, 2 aces, 9 service points and had one dig.
Ward racked up 4 service points, 2 aces and contributed a team-high 7 digs. Evans knocked in 8 service points, 3 aces and a block. Martin finished with 8 service points, 2 kills, a block and 3 digs.
Junior Lila McDuffie smacked in 2 kills and had one dig. Junior Cybil Campbell hammered in 2 aces, a kill and had one dig.
East Bladen will host rival West Bladen Monday at 4:30.
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