Tigers edged by Nikes

NEW LONDON — No. 15 ranked New London volleyball gave No. 7 Notre Dame quite the scare on Thursday night.

New London had the Nikes backs against the wall a plethora of times throughout the four sets and just two points separated the two squads by the end of the first and fourth, but it was Notre Dame who found a way to seal it 32-30, 16-25, 25-20 and 25-23.

Despite the loss, New London showed they could play with the states best.

Through the first set, the tone was set.

The two squads tied a total of 14 times throughout the opening set and played a total of seven set points in the end.

Notre Dame and New London played it close, as five points is all that separated the two squads with Notre Dame holding a late advantage 19-14.

The Tigers were able to claw their way back with the Nikes drawing the first 24-23 match point.

New London’s Natalie Burden was able to hammer home a kill to keep the Tigers alive. She would end with a team high 22 kills on the night.

Notre Dame would take four more straight match points, but New London held on.

Burden laid another pair of kills down to give the Tigers a shot at the win at 28-27 and 30-29, but a serving error gave Notre Dame just what it needed as the Nikes followed with two straight kills from Gabby Deery to take set one. Deery would end with a match high 28 kills.

“We just missed some serves in some pivotal moments,” New London head coach Jackie Housman said. “I honestly think we played very very well we just needed to respond a little bit quicker and Deery is a great hitter. She’s gonna get her hits.”

New London didn’t let the first set loss get to their heads, as set two would be all New London.

The Tigers took a 3-2 lead early and never lost it.

Notre Dame was able to cut the lead to four at 14-10, but the Tiger defense held strong as they allowed just six more Nikes points on the way to the nine point win 25-16.

Defense was the name of the game for New London, even against a stout hitting team like Notre Dame.

On the night, New London racked up a mind boggling 111 digs, 36 of which came from all-state libero Emma Nye.

The Tigers were particularly fantastic defending the serves as Notre Dame never had a serving run of more than one point through the first two sets and midway through the third.

Although the Tigers showed out, Notre Dame was able to get the edge in the final two sets.

Set three was another which could have very well been a Tiger win.

Just three points was all that separated the Tigers and Nike up until Notre Dame took a late 24-20 match point lead.

In the fourth set, the Tigers lept out to a 7-1 lead, the first of three six point leads by the Tigers, with the second coming after a Burden kill to make it 9-3 and 18-12.

Notre Dame stayed in the rear view though.

New London led by four late 22-18, but it was all Nikes up until match point, as they scored four straight to tie it at 22.

New London scored on the next serve to make it 23-22, but Notre Dame ended with three points to end it.

“My message to the team was we’re gonna play them again and it’s gonna be just as much as a fight the next time,” Housman said. “I thought they played wonderful.”

For the Tigers, following Burden in kills was Tysann Gipple with 16 and Sophie Malott with nine. Nye and Camryn Lair each had four. Elly Manning ended with three and Morgan Jones had one.

Manning led New London with 45 assists followed by Nye with four and Jones with one.

Malott had six serving aces. Nye had three and Burden one.

Lair had two block in the loss, while Malott and Gipple each had one.

In the digs department, Jones tallied 22, Manning 19, Malott 17, Burden 14 and Gipple three.

New London moves to 4-3 (1-1) on the season and will take on Van Buren County (2-3) on Tuesday.