The Coshocton County Beacon November 23, 2023

26 • The Beacon November 23 , 2023

Golden Eagles lose heartbreaker in championship final

One point , just one more point — that was the rallying cry in the Golden Eagles huddle near the end of the fourth set — leading Penn State Mont Alto 24-20 — while trying to send their USCAA Division II Volleyball Championship match to a deciding fifth-set tiebreaker .

The Eagles needed that one elusive point on four different possessions , only to have Mont Alto tie the match at 24-24 . The Navy and Gold clawed back to a 25-24 lead and needed that one point again to advance to the extra session . It is something they had already done against the Lions twice this season , splitting the season series 1-1 .

It didn ’ t happen , and Kent State Tuscarawas , ever the underdogs who missed a bid to the tournament last season by one vote , was soon tied at 25-25 and eventually

Here ' s to the hunt . overtaken by the Lions . Mont Alto won its second straight national title 3-1 and finished its season with a 26-8 record .

After a 2-2 tie in the opening set , the Golden Eagles seized control until they held a 17-16 advantage . That ’ s when the Lions caught up , and the teams battled through four ties down the stretch until the Eagles scored three of the final four points to win the opener on a Taliyah Johnson kill 27-25 .

Mont Alto was in charge from the outset of the second set , grabbing a quick 4-0 lead , but Kent State Tuscarawas fought back to tie the match 12-12 , thanks to a service error . That ’ s when they took advantage of their first-set lead on the strength of serving by Cayla Shrimplin and Makenzie Ailes . The Eagles held the lead at 21-20 , but the defending champs claimed the last

Submitted

The Golden Eagles team includes Cayla Shrimplin , Addison Gordon , Lizzy Keller , Alivia Spaulding , Nicole Simons , Kylie Culbertson , Taliyah Johnson and Makenzie Ailes . The team was led by head coach Cortney Goodwin and assistant coach Steve Colpus .

five points to win the set 25-21 .

With the exception of a 2-2 tie in the third set , the Lions ruled play , building a lead of nine points and outlasting the Eagles by tallying four of the last five points to take a 25-17 victory and a 2-1 match lead .

The final set saw

seven different ties and a quickened pace with the Golden Eagles facing a must-win situation and Mont Alto on the verge of winning another national title . With the tandem of Shrimplin and Ailes at the serving line again , the Eagles scraped their way to a 24-20 lead on an Addison Gordon kill , again needing just that one point .

However , Mont Alto scored four consecutive points and tied the match on an attack error . A service error by the Lions breathed new life into the Golden Eagles , giving them a 25-24 lead and needing that one point . Unfortunately , Mont Alto

scored the final three points and won the championship on an attack error 27-25 .

The Golden Eagles finished the season with a 17-5 record with a roster of eight players and no upperclassmen .

Team members include Cayla Shrimplin , Addison Gordon , Lizzy Keller , Alivia Spaulding , Nicole Simons , Kylie Culbertson , Taliyah Johnson and Makenzie Ailes . The team was led by head coach Cortney Goodwin and assistant coach Steve Colpus .

This team also became the first Kent State Tuscarawas athletic team to play in the national championship game in Kent State Tuscarawas ’ eightyear USCAA membership history .

To learn more about the Kent State Tuscarawas Golden Eagles athletics , visit www . flyhighgoldeneagles . com .

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