The Varsity Volleyball team hosted the Rivers School on Wednesday, October 26, in a hotly anticipated contest between two of the top four teams in the ISL, which was also a rematch of last year's NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinal. Excellent volleyball was on display by both teams; Rivers potent offense was matched by the Zebras grit and strong defense, as Middlesex ultimately won the match, 3-2.

The match was intense from the start, with the scoreboard remaining tight through the beginning of the first set, which featured Parker Boyden '23, Caroline Cervini '23, Julie Chen '23, Annabelle Lerner '23, Devon Coyle '24, and Charlotte Heafey '25 putting offensive pressure at the net. Tem Taepaisitphongse '23, Caroline Cervini '23, and Romy Ahn '23 were strong in the back court as they dug up many of the Red Wings' hits. Neither team was able to establish or maintain a strong lead, and at the end of the set Rivers held set point at 24-23. Middlesex earned the sideout and then held a set point of their own after Devon's strong serve forced a freeball that was converted into a kill by Julie. A missed serve by Rivers brought Caroline to the service line, and she stayed calm in the moment to serve a tough ace winning the set 27-25 for Middlesex.

The high intensity carried over into the second set. Although the scoreline remained close at the start of the set, Rivers built a multi-point lead as their outside hitters began exerting dominance. Middlesex managed to put some pressure on the Red Wings and continued to climb up the scoreboard, though ultimately, Rivers was able to take the second set to 25-20.

The defeat in the second set motivated the Zebras to take charge of the game again. They opened up the third set with a 7-0 lead on Caroline's serve, causing Rivers to call a timeout. The gap grew wider to 10-1, however Rivers did not throw in the towel and continued to make the Zebras work for every point. However, strong serving by Caroline, Julie, and Charlotte as well as big blocks by Parker and Annabelle who had adjusted to the Rivers' hitters, allowed the Zebras to maintain control of the set, which they eventually won, 25-18.

Despite the 2-1 lead in the home match, the drama was far from over. The fourth set delivered an even higher degree of intensity from both teams. Rivers opened up at a 10-6 lead, which Middlesex overturned through a strong serving run by Devon and built up a 19-11 lead while Annabelle and Caroline put up several key blocks to limit the Rivers hitters. While Middlesex may have grown a little too overconfident in that moment, Rivers did not give in, and worked their way back up to tighten the score back to 20-21, at which point some of the best volleyball was played in the match as both teams fought for every point. Despite the Zebras' efforts, the Red Wings pulled off a 26-24 comeback to bring the match to a deciding fifth set. 

The energy in the Cage was pulsating as the home crowd led by the boisterous Herd were cheering loudly for the Zebras. Middlesex embraced the support of the crowd to open up the set with an 11-2 lead on strong serving runs by Julie and Romy, who both also were relentless in their defending of the Rivers hits in the back court. The Zebras were committed to see the set through. The team remained calm, focused, and precise in their plays as they drove up the scoreboard. The gap grew to 14-3, and Middlesex eventually closed the set at 15-7.
This was a big win of the Zebras with important implications for both the ISL and NEPSAC Class B standings. Next, Middlesex (10-1; 7-1 ISL) will be facing Thayer Academy in an away match on Saturday, October 29.