After a rough start to the week which found the Chargers on the losing end in MCCAA play on both Monday and Tuesday night, Coach Shaun McAllister was unsure how her team would respond on Thursday in their last match of the season which also happened to be Sophomore Night.  "Monday and Tuesday were tough nights for us but I was very proud of how we practiced on Wednesday and the work we put in to get prepared for this match.  Sophomore Night is an emotional night but I thought we fought through it and found a way to make just enough plays to win the match.  I am so happy for these girls, especially our sophomores, who deserved to have such a great end to the season."

After Glen Oaks stormed to an easy 25-13 win in Set 1, doubt could have creeped in to the Charger huddle but instead, MU Ancilla rallied back to take Set 2 by a score of 25-19 to even the match at 1-1.  Glen Oaks responded in Set 3 to win 25-21 which put them 1 set away from not only the match win, but a trip to the Region Tournament.  Set 4 is where the intensity ramped up to a whole new level for both teams and the loud crowd in attendance.  Both teams went on scoring runs to take leads in the set but neither could take full control.  Finally, the Chargers got to a 24-18 lead which seemed safe.  Glen Oaks immediately responded with 6 points in a row to tie the set at 24-24.  From there, MU Ancilla was able to steady themselves and hold on for a 27-25 set win which set up the winner-take-all 5th set.

Coach McAllister commented on the tense atmosphere that comes with a 5th set.  "We have played so many 5-set matches in conference play, a few of which did not go our way but I think we have grown from those experiences.  Athletes and coaches need to love being in those moments and I think you could see in our players that they were enjoying the moment as best they could."  

Set 5 went almost exactly as Set 4 did with both teams taking turns holding the lead but neither being able to pull away.  As the set progressed, it was the Chargers who seemingly took control at 13-9 and just 2 points away from the win before Glen Oaks rallied again, eventually serving for the match at 15-14.  The Chargers stayed alive to even things up at 15-15 before the teams traded points until we reached 18-18.  From there, the Chargers put the final 2 points on the board to take a thrilling 5th set by the score of 20-18.

A very happy and exhausted Coach McAllister was thrilled for her team.  "I am so proud of this group.  It was great to send Leah Thompson, Halie Ebersol, and Tori Highland out with a well-deserved win.  It took a lot of fight from our team tonight to pull this match out and it is the perfect way to cap this season off.  We won 6 matches, had a 5-match winning streak in there, and competed very well with some of the top teams in our conference.  I think we are turning the corner as a program and I am excited for the future."

With the win, the Chargers finish the season at 6-17 and 3-9 in the MCCAA West.  After back-to-back seasons without a win, this group got the program back on track and with a bright future.