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5-set thrillers

Randolph rallies past Gowanda in Class C semifinal

GOWANDA -- Leading two sets to one, Gowanda was three points away from ending Randolph's season Monday night.

The Cardinals had other ideas.

No. 7 Randolph won the fourth set 25-23, then outlasted the third-seeded Panthers 18-16 in a frenetic fifth set to beat Gowanda in a Section VI Class C semifinal at Gowanda High School.

"We have talked about the mental side of volleyball. We have worked so hard to learn how to reset and mentally stay tough," Randolph head coach Bayley Johnson said. "I think this team has believed in that and believed that they could win if they stayed mentally tough."

The Cardinals' reward for reaching the final? A matchup with No. 1 Portville, the five-time defending Class C state champion. The sectional championship match will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Jamestown High School.

"I think a neutral site is going to be key because one team won't have their home gym," Johnson said. "It's going to be tough, but my team knows how to keep playing and never give up."

Gowanda led as late as 15-14 in Monday's final set, but Randolph tied the set at 15-all before Lilly Beaver served an ace to give the Cardinals a one-point lead. The Panthers' Lilliana Pierce tied the set again with a tap over the net that fell in, but an Addyson Shawley spike made it 17-16.

"We just kept trying to get the momentum to bring it back on our side," Gowanda head coach Brenda Gernatt said. "We tried to get a lead, but it just kept going back and forth."

Then, with Shawley at the service line, a Gowanda spike went long allowing the Cardinals to escape with the 18-16 victory.

"We had a lot of mental mistakes tonight. We didn't play with full confidence. Our girls seemed scared at moments," Gernatt said. "We tried very hard to shut down their outside hitter, but she's a really good player. We just didn't play to our full ability tonight."

Shawley was a machine for Randolph, unofficially credited with 44 of her team's 53 kills to go along with three blocks and eight service points, including three aces.

"The best thing about Addyson Shawley is that she is the best teammate that you will ever play with. That's what makes her so tough," Johnson said. "She plays with composure and trusts every single one of her teammates to make those plays so she can be successful."

The Panthers won the first set 25-18, scoring the final five points. Gowanda took over at 20-18, thanks to a kill from Envy Cross. The junior middle hitter then proceeded to get two more kills over the final four points to complete the seven-point victory.

"Those two middles are phenomenal middles. They cut that angle so well," Johnson said of Cross and Pierce. "Our main goal was a double block and keeping our left defense home."

Randolph led 9-3 early in the second set, coaxing Gowanda into a timeout. The Panthers used another timeout with the Cardinals leading 15-6, but it did little to slow Randolph, which coasted to a 25-12 win.

"In our second game, we totally fell apart," Gernatt said. "We were even out of rotation. That can't happen in a semifinal."

Neither team led by more than three during the third set. Randolph spent a timeout with Gowanda leading 18-15, which led to a six-point run by the Cardinals. But Pierce tied the set 22-all with a kill and again at 23-all. Tied at 24-all, a dig from Gowanda's Aubrey Smuda fell in behind Randolph's back row, then a kill from Cross put the Panthers a set away from advancing.

The Cardinals led by as much as seven late in the fourth set, only to see that advantage disappear into a 21-all tie. Cross made it 22-21, but a back-row kill from Shawley gave Randolph a 23-22 lead. Armed with a 24-23 lead, the Cardinals' Hailey Farmer put the set away with one of her three kills on the night.

"Hailey Farmer is that girl that gets those points when needed," Johnson said. "In this playoff run, she has scored big momentum points."

Gowanda led 13-11 in the fifth set, but a Shawley block made it 13-12. Randolph then took a 14-13 lead on another Shawley kill and an ace by Aliza Hind before the crazy final seven points.

"I believe that Tessa (Brown) and Aliza are two of the best setters and defensive players in the area. They work together well," Johnson said. "Aliza has been a strong player and puts the ball where it needs to be. Tessa Brown is only a freshman; the hustle, the heart, she trusts her teammates and does her job."

Now the Cardinals will look for another upset Thursday when they take on the 14-time sectional champion Panthers while they will be seeking their 10th sectional crown.

"They are a great program," Johnson said of Portville. "It's all about mindset. I think my girls believe at this point and I think they are ready to play."

NOTES: For Randolph, Hind was credited with 31 assists and three aces; Brown had 19 assists and two aces; and Maybelle Kovel had four aces. ... For Gowanda, Pierce had 25 kills and 13 assists; Cross had 21 kills and three blocks; Bella Maines had 30 assists; and Maleina Moses had six kills and three aces.