Sussex Academy volleyball picks up statement win

Volleyball fans saw their blood pressure spike during Sussex Academy’s 3-1 home victory over Sussex Central Sept. 9. 

“I thought we were gonna go to five sets [but] we ended it in four,” said libero Anna Lara-Nieto. “It was a great match, and we knew it was going to be a hard team, so it was a pretty fun night.” 

The first set was the tone-setter for the match, as Sussex Central stormed back to get within two points, 20-18, after trailing 18-11. A Golden Knights timeout was the catalyst for the comeback, but the visitors got a taste of their own medicine when the Seahawks called for a break, leading 20-18, and regrouped to pull off a 25-21 win.

Sussex Central evened things up with a 25-19 victory in the second set before both teams put on an absolute show in the third set.

“Everyone picked each other up,” said junior Grayce Glover. “We lost one, but we turned it right around.” 

The Seahawks jumped out to an early lead in the third set, just as the Golden Knights did in the second set. Sussex Academy took a timeout when Sussex Central stormed back within one, 8-7. The Seahawks pulled away a bit more to force the Golden Knights to regroup.

Both teams had their backline diving all over the floor, while neither backed down at the net, leading to plenty of cheers and jeers from the respective fan bases. 

Sussex Academy coach Hailee Gooch took her final timeout with the Seahawks up 21-20. Each side could feel the momentum and fate of the match within reach.

Mike Adams called the Golden Knights’ final timeout of the set with Sussex Academy ahead 27-26, but it was not enough. The Seahawks soared to a 28-26 victory to put themselves on the brink of a match win.

“I knew they had this in them; I wanted them to see that they had it in them,” Gooch said. “Central was going to be a tough team going into this match. Defensively, they're so strong. I'm really, really proud of my girls for matching that energy and stepping up and finding a way to push through and have that grit.” 

Sussex Academy breezed to a 25-14 win in the fourth set to take the match 3-1. Glover credits the grueling preseason drills for the strong finish. The junior had one sequence on the final set where she hit the ball, dug out the return block and, while she was still on the floor, kept the ball alive.

“I think preseason was a big part of this because we did a lot of conditioning, and we all pushed each other through it, and I think it just correlated onto the court,” Glover said.

As the final whistle blew, the girls soaked in the win, but kept their focus on the future.

“We know there's gonna be harder teams coming at us, but we're here,” Lara-Nieto said. “We're ready for it.”

Match-highs were set by Sussex Central players Quinn Nicholson (27 digs), Riley Messick (26 assists), Julia Dessaso (six blocks) and Paige Nguyen-Nicholson (18 kills and five aces).

Leading the Seahawks were Maya Hastings (16 kills), Jopie Smith (four aces), Anna Lara-Nieto (22 digs) and Nadia Ahmed (20 assists and three blocks).

“I told them at the end in that huddle that I'm super proud of them, but we have more work to do, and they know that,” Gooch said. “They have a lot ahead of them this season that I think they're finally starting to unlock.”