CENTERVILLE — Baltic went the distance Tuesday, October 20th and nearly stole a big road win, but Centerville outlasted the Bulldogs in a back-and-forth five-set battle, 22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11. The match had just about everything — early runs, big responses, and two sets that came down to the final few points.
Set 1 — Bulldogs storm back and steal the opener
Baltic was in a hole early, trailing 0-6 and 3-8, then 4-12. Centerville kept the pressure on and built its largest lead at 18-7. But the Bulldogs didn’t blink. Baltic ripped off a huge run to climb back into it at 22-17, then tightened the screws late — pulling even at 22-22 and surging in front 23-22. From there, Baltic finished the comeback and took the first set 25-22.
Set 2 — Centerville answers late
Baltic came out sharp again in the second, leading 5-1 and 11-8 before Centerville worked back to 13-13. The Bulldogs pushed ahead 19-16, but the Tornadoes responded with a late push of their own, flipping the score from 19-20 to 24-21 and closing the set 25-22 to even the match.
Set 3 — Tornadoes pull away
Set 3 stayed tight early — 3-3, 6-5, 10-9 — but Centerville gradually created separation. The Tornadoes moved in front 13-10, then stretched it to 18-12 and 22-15. Baltic fought, but Centerville finished strong to take the third 25-18 and move within one set of the match.
Set 4 — Bulldogs force a fifth
Facing a deficit, Baltic dug in and refused to let the night end early. Centerville grabbed early momentum, leading 3-1 and 7-3, then building a cushion at 17-10. Even then, the Bulldogs kept chipping away — closing the gap to 20-13 and 23-17. Baltic’s best stretch came at the perfect time. The Bulldogs rallied all the way back to 23-23, then won the final two points to take set 4 25-23 and force a deciding fifth.
Set 5 — Centerville closes it out
The fifth set was a grind from the start, with the teams even at 3-3, 7-7, 9-9, and 10-10. Centerville made the final move, edging ahead 12-10 and then 14-11 before finishing the match at 15-11.
Kalyce Nohava had 17 kills, three digs, and two blocks. Isssie Clark ended with 13 kills and 24 digs. Kyla Hanson finished with eight kills. Ashlynn Lane had 12 set assists and 10 digs. Kenzie Bethke had 17 set assists and five digs. Kaiya Lenderts had 23 digs and two ace serves. Harper Kortemeyer ended with five kills and eight blocks.
