The Republic Lady Tigers overcame a big deficit in the first set, then held on for a straight-set home victory Tuesday over Carthage, 25-23 25-23.
Republic led 10-6 in the first set when Carthage went on a 15-4 run to grab a commanding lead at 21-14. But the Lady Tigers didn’t quit. They went on an 11-2 run of their own to win the set.
In set two, it was Carthage that mounted a comeback. Trailing 21-12, Carthage cut the lead to 24-22 before Republic sealed the victory.
Coach Piper Wright says some lineup changes helped her team avoid the slow start they’ve suffered from in previous matches.
“We rotated our rotation a little to get a little quicker start,” Wright says. “If you can start off 5-0 or 6-1, that definitely gives you the advantage because it’s all about the momentum.”
Lexi Birlew led the Lady Tigers with eight kills. Maddy Sherman had 11 digs and Brooke Stanfield had three blocks on defense.
“We just played solid. We got to our defensive spots,” says Wright. “We were strong on the block. Our hitters did a pretty good job. Middles started off a little slow that first set, but once we engaged them, I thought we did really well.”
Republic improves to 8-6 overall, and 1-0 in COC play.