NEW HOPE — The life had been sucked out of the gym at New Hope High School after the first set of the Trojans’ MHSAA Class 5A semifinal matchup against Lake Cormorant.
Up 19-13 in Set 1, New Hope saw its lead vanish in an instant as the Gators finished the set on a 13-5 run to take an important 1-0 lead in the match.
That second set saw the Trojans look visibly distraught and defeated as momentum had fully swung in favor of Lake Cormorant with a spot in the 5A state championship game on the line.
New Hope did all it could to fight its way back into the match in the third set, even forcing a set point, but the Trojans’ run toward a potential state championship fell short in a straight-set loss to Lake Cormorant on Monday night.
Set scores were 26-24, 25-19 and 28-26.
“They just felt like their mojo wasn’t clicking,” New Hope head coach Allison Woolbright said. “This morning in practice, they said their mojo wasn’t on, and we just couldn’t put our finger on it. I kept thinking that come game time, it would turn on.”
Give credit where credit is due: Lake Cormorant wasn’t going down without a fight, and its best outside hitter, Sofia Gonzalez, looked unstoppable on Monday.
When the Gators looked out of sorts, Gonzalez was able to get things back on track with perfectly placed shots with some authority behind them.
With all the momentum riding in New Hope’s favor in that first set, a timeout at that 19-13 point served as the start of the momentum shift and changed the entire complexion of the game.
“If we could have won that first set, that would have helped build some momentum and give them more opportunities,” Coach Woolbright said.
The second set proved a letdown for the Trojans after nearly going up 1-0 in the match.
Errors and mistakes began to pile on top of each other as things only got worse for the home team.
Players were out of position, easy passes were missed, and shots weren’t executed because of missed sets or miscommunication.
Spiraling out of control is a stretch to describe what happened, but that wasn’t the New Hope volleyball that had gotten them to the Class 5A final four.
“After anyone wins the first set, momentum is up on their side,” setter Annie Woolbright said. “We just tried to balance out their momentum and bring our energy up on our side.
“I think the passes were off tonight. It was affecting the set and how our hitters were hitting. It was an easy fix, but we didn’t adjust to it until late in the match.”
In the battle that ensured toward the end of that final set, as the crowd got itself back into the match, watching New Hope grind out points and work itself out of a deficit, Lake Cormorant proved to be stronger in the end.
When match point landed on the Trojans’ side of the court, the emotions of a season of volleyball all came out at one.
Players embraced each other crying, as this was a tough end to a run that hoped to end celebrating on Mississippi State’s home court Thursday.
However, playing in front of a packed home crowd Monday added a positive twist to an otherwise emotional finale.
“We’re one community and they come together to support us on the court,” outside hitter Megan Neeb said. “Win or lose, they’re always there.”
New Hope might have not taken home the hardware this season, but the Trojans, having reached their third semifinal in the last four years, will be hungry come next season to add that elusive state title to their trophy case.
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