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NEVER SAY NEVER: Hawks rally, survive

JEWELL – The tears flowed freely and abundantly without the slightest hint of embarrassment. And from inside the mosh pit of excited fans, the South Hamilton players couldn’t hide their excitement as they screamed for anyone who would listed.

That’s what happens when a team pulls off the improbable, bordering on impossible.

Trailing 2-0 and by as many as three points late in the third set, 14th-ranked South Hamilton somehow found a way to rally and eventually take control for a thrilling five-set victory over 13th-ranked South Central Calhoun, 25-27, 19-25, 25-22, 26-24, 15-6, in a Class 2A Region 2 semifinal on Coach Jim Marsh Court last night.

The Titans (27-13) even had a match point late in the fourth set, but time and time again, when its back was against the wall, South Hamilton found a way to survive.

“This feels so good because we’re so much closer to our dream,” a hoarse Ady Wintermote said as a mixture of tears and sweat streamed down her cheeks just minutes after the match. “It’s one of those things where, as a senior, you never know when it can be your last game. This just makes me so proud of us to come back from down two (sets).”

South Hamilton (25-5) advances to Tuesday’s regional final in Manson where second-ranked Unity Christian (33-4) awaits. The winner will punch its ticket to the state tournament.

Wintermote smashed a match-high 25 kills, but none were more important than the two she collected late in the fourth set from the left side of the floor. Trying to fend off a match point at 24-23, Wintermote unleashed a thunderous slam that smacked off the floor just inside the boundary stripe to knot the set at 24. The Hawks went back to her two points later and this time Wintermote went with the tip into the open area for the set-winning point to force a fifth.

“We’re a team and we’re going to sink or swim together,” South Hamilton senior Alissa Moss said after distributing 20 assists to go along with three kills, four blocks and seven digs. “When you’re down like that, you don’t give up and you don’t let a point go by, and that’s what we did.”

With all of the momentum in its favor, South Hamilton cruised in the fifth set. Sophomore outside hitter Lily Skartvedt caught fire and laced five of her seven kills in the race to 15. She had three in a four-point stretch and then back-to-back smashes to make it 10-6.

“They set me because I was open and it was easier to go to the outside than it was back up the middle,” Skartvedt said. “There was a lot of (momentum). The crowd got going and we just got more into it.”

Taylor Ratzke added six kills and didn’t make a mistake in 14 swings. She came up with three bombs in the fourth set to help South Hamilton climb out of a 19-13 hole to eventually even it up at 23.

Breanne Diersen checked in with three kills, and Chloe Barkema added two kills and a team-high five blocks.

Defensively, libero Anna Moss piled up 16 digs. Wintermote added 11.

South Central Calhoun all-state bomber Allison Birks rattled off 19 kills, including three in the fifth set to try to keep the Titans within shouting distance.

Sloppy passing and poor communication at times doomed the Hawks in the first and second sets. The Titans were the more balanced team and put together late runs to build the two-set cushion.

South Hamilton found itself behind 20-17 late in set No. 3 before roaring back into contention. The Hawks eventually tied it at 20 on a Ratzke kill and late aces by Anna Moss and Skartvedt forced a fourth set.

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