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Much like a basketball game, volleyball momentum can swing in a second.
Sometimes you can get it back, sometimes you can't.
Mineral Point couldn't have asked for a better start when Riverdale came to town Thursday, but unfortunately for the Pointers, it didn't last as the Chieftains claimed a 3-1 win in a key SWAL game.
Scores were 25-18, 18-25, 18-25, and 18-25.
The Pointers came out fired up and cruised fairly easily to the game one win. A Clara Chambers ace serve made the score 10-7, a Sadie Pethel kill put the Pointers in front 16-12, and a point from Natalie Chubb sealed the win at 25-18.
Game two was a different story as Riverdale was the team that bolted out of the gate to take a 15-8 lead. Mineral Point battled back behind Chambers' serving to tie things at 16 all on a Chieftain miss hit into the net. Jessica Schultz had some fancy tip kills that kept the Riverdale defense confused. The Chieftains went on a 7-0 run to win the game at 25-18.
The third game saw the Pointers take an early 8-2 lead before the Chieftains roared back to tie things at 10 all. It was back and forth from there on out until Riverdale again went on a big run to win the game 25-18 and go up two games to one.
The fourth game was neck and neck until Pointer sophomore captain and starting setter, Sydney Staver, left the game with a knee injury which sent Haley Chubb into the contest. The new rotation caused confusion for Mineral Point, but they hung tough at 15-16 before Riverdale rolled to the 25-18 win and took the match.
The Chieftains were led by Jaide Johnson with 13 kills while Amanda Meister and Kayla Frazier added eight each. Meister also tallied four aces and 28 assists. Frazier added 16 digs. Emily Drone served for three aces.
For the Pointers, Schultz was the kill leader with 15. Chambers again had an impressive stat line with eight kills, one block, four aces, and four digs. Staver had one block and 22 assists while Pethel added four aces.
"Riverdale is a good team," said Pointer coach Dana Gevelinger. "They have some big hitters and good back row players. We matched up well against them, but couldn't get the pointers we needed at the end of the games. Jessica Schultz had a big night hitting for us with 15 kills."