AUBURN, M.E — For the third time this year, the match between NHTI and Central Maine Community College went to the decisive fifth set. For the second time, it was NHTI who came away as the victor, advancing to the YSCC Final Four.
The Lynx took the first set, 25-22, but the Mustangs bounced back in the second, 25-15. The back-and-forth trend continued throughout the next two sets, each side taking one.
In the fifth, the two teams traded points early before Emma Bernard and Savanah Ham combined for five kills to give NHTI the advantage, 14-6. The Mustangs strung together four straight points before Bernard provided the decisive kill to send the Lynx into the final four.
Bernard led the charge with 23 kills and 12 digs, while setter Natalie Thoresen orchestrated the offense with a season-high 40 assists and added 13 digs of her own. Isabella Sandler was electric on both ends, tallying 8 kills and 20 digs, while Brooke Kelly chipped in 10 kills and 2 blocks, including clutch points down the stretch.
"Before the season, we had not won a set against CMCC since 2021, so taking sets earlier this year against them was already a win" head coach Toni Bailon said. "Being able to beat them in these last two matchups has really shown the perseverance of this squad."
With the win, the Lynx have won four out of their last five and advance to the YSCC final four, which will be held at NHTI's home court.
"We wanted to win this game so we could compete on our home court in the final four, Bailon said. "This streak has helped with our confidence, and we have been working hard since homecoming to improve. Each game we play, we are getting stronger and we are looking forward to this weekend."
The YSCC final four is set to begin at 11 AM Sunday, Oct. 26, with the championship match scheduled for 2 PM.
Inside The Box Score:
- NHTI tallied 50 kills in the match, its second-highest of the season.
- The Lynx finished with 10 service aces, led by Thoresen and Sandler
- NHTI improves to 4-1 in matches decided by 5 sets this season.
