The Varsity Volleyball team played a breath-taking match away against Milton Academy on Saturday, October 1. The action-packed five-set match featured a rollercoaster of emotions for both teams, concluding with a 3-2 Middlesex win. Prior to the start of the match, the captains of both teams honored the match officials and presented them with signed cards from the players as part of the AVCA and NEPSAC Officials Appreciation Week (#OfficationWeek); our matches would not be possible without our dedicated referees, and we are immensely grateful for their commitment and contributions throughout the season.

The Zebras opened the first set against the Mustangs confidently, and established initial dominance by quickly building a lead that they maintained throughout much of the set. Parker Boyden '23, Devon Coyle '24, Romy Ahn '23, and Julie Chen '23 scored kills to keep the Zebras ahead. Caroline Cervini '23, Parker, Romy, Julie and Charlotte Heafey '25 held the defensive line, while Annabelle Lerner '23, Parker, and Devon kept Milton's offense in check with their blocks. Julie and Caroline provided the aces for the set. Despite the Mustangs' efforts to catch up late in the set, the Zebras held on to win 25-21..

Middlesex continued to demonstrate confidence in the second set, opening it up with an ace by Caroline. Julie, Romy, Charlotte, and Tem Taepaisitphongse '23 all also contributed aces in this set. Parker, Dela McCaghren '24, and Charlotte carried the team's offense, while Romy, Caroline, Charlotte, and Julie maintained defensive consistency. The Mustangs' inability to respond to the Zebras' confidence and consistent pressure led to a score of 25-17 in favor of Middlesex.
 

The third set of the match brought about a dramatic turn of events. Milton proved resilient and unwilling to give the Zebras a sweep, quickly demonstrating a thirst to fight back on their home court while taking advantage of Middlesex's overconfidence. With the home crowd's support, the Mustangs brought high energy and focus as they clawed their way back into the match. However, when it looked like the Mustangs would run away with the set, Middlesex found another gear to close the gap and tie the score. On the Zebras' side, the offensive kills were provided by Julie, Charlotte, Annabelle, Romy, and Alyssa Aslam '25, who made her Middlesex debut. Aces were scored by Tem and Charlotte. Effective defensive plays by Romy, Parker, Charlotte, Julie, and Caroline kept the scoreboard tight, reaching the 28-28 mark. Despite the Zebras' outstanding performance under pressure, the Mustangs were able to pull off a 30-28 win and extended the match

The tension kept rising throughout the fourth set. The frustrating loss in the third set threw the Zebras off balance and demanded a higher level of focus to attempt a four-set victory. On the other side of the net, the Mustangs grew more confident and determined. Charlotte and Parker led the offense, with Julie, Charlotte, and Tem scoring aces. The tight defense by Caroline, Julie, Romy, and Charlotte challenged the Mustangs, but Milton ultimately closed this tight set winning 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth set.

With only 15 points needed for victory in the final set, both teams were under even greater pressure to perform. Parker, Dela, Romy, and Devon led the offense, while Romy, Charlotte, Caroline and Tem held down the defensive. The Zebras jumped out to an 8-2 lead at the side-change before the Mustangs came storming back to close the gap with a couple of close calls going against the Zebras. Middlesex earned a crucial sideout with a 12-11 lead, with Devon stepping back to the service line. She proved cool under pressure as she served tough, including one ace, to keep Milton under pressure and earned the last three points to win the match 15-11 for Middlesex. Despite the high pressure, the Zebras proved that they were able to focus, and work together and overcome adversity to pull out this hard-fought victory.

The Middlesex team breathed a collective sigh of relief after this match while also recognizing that several valuable lessons were learned in this contest. The Zebras can be proud of their commitment, resilience, and teamwork, allowing them to overcome adversity, while also acknowledging the need for composure and focus in order to excel in close contests. 

Next up, Middlesex (3-1; 1-1 ISL) will face Lawrence Academy at home on Tuesday, October 4 at 3pm in the Atkins Cage.