Triton rallies to knock off Cleveland in NCHSAA 3A volleyball playoffs
Triton rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat season nemesis Cleveland 3-2 in the third round of the NCHSAA 3A volleyball playoffs on Thursday night.
Cleveland had defeated perennial power Triton twice during the season including in the semifinals of the Two Rivers 3A Conference tournament. The Rams rolled to victories in the first two sets Thursday – winning 25-18 and 25-20 – and were on the verge of a third win over the Hawks but could never seal the deal.
Triton caught fire in the third set and won the next two sets 25-21 and 25-21 to set up a taut fifth set.
Cleveland went up 10-8 in the deciding set before Sophie Saltzman and Kate Mangum teamed up to lift the Hawks to victory.
Triton scored six straight points to go up 14-10, with Saltzman and Mangum accounting for five of the six points. Cleveland pulled within 14-12 but Mangum’s kill for the 15th point was the decider for Triton.
“Sweet, sweet revenge,” Triton coach Wendy Gaines said. “To beat them when it matters most. That was sweet. I couldn’t be more proud of my girls. We are peaking right now. … They didn’t die and give up even though our old team would have done that. As we went through the conference we would make errors and get down and continue to make errors and stay down.
“I think these girls have finally figured it out. They like winning.”
Triton (18-8 and the 19th seed in the East 3A bracket) had its 14-year string of conference championships stopped this season. But the Hawks, a team with no seniors on its roster, appears to be coming of age in the playoffs.
Cleveland (22-4) had a banner season, winning the Two Rivers tournament championship after finishing tied for second place in the regular season.
“We got our of our rhythm a little bit with our passing in the third and fourth sets but both teams played great,” Cleveland coach Shelley Johnston said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. Both teams played their hearts out and someone had to lose.
“I am very proud of them. I know our team has gone farther than anyone in the community thought we would. … Seeing how far we came since we were in camp in July, it’s amazing. And they have such a huge future ahead of them.”
Turning point
Down 10-8 in the fifth set, Triton scored six straight points to take a 14-10 lead. The Hawks blinked and Cleveland pulled within 14-12 but it was too large a deficit as the Hawks scored the next point to take the final set 15-12.
They said it
“I was just thinking how much I wanted (to win), who much I enjoyed playing with these girls,” Triton’s Sophie Saltzman said of her thoughts after the Hawks fell behind 2-0. “I wasn’t ready for it to end yet. I wanted the season to continue. I just kept imagining us winning and how great it would feel if we won and showed them what we could do.”
Three who mattered
Triton’s Sophie Saltzman: The sophomore continued her strong play of late, leading the Hawks with 13 kills and five blocks.
“She had got that confidence and is just feeding off it,” Triton coach Wendy Gaines said. “I hope she continues to do it.”
Triton’s Taylor Gainey: The junior had 11 kills and three blocks. Her athletic play at the net was a key for the Hawks.
Cleveland’s Alexis Ivey: The senior leader of the Rams had 14 kills and nine blocks in a powerful effort at the net.
This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 1:18 AM with the headline "Triton rallies to knock off Cleveland in NCHSAA 3A volleyball playoffs."