Hallsville Storms Back for Five-Game Volleyball Victory at Tyler Lee

TYLER -- Hallsville came to the brink of being swept by Tyler Lee, but stormed back to stun the Lady Raiders in Tuesday's 23-25, 23-25, 29-27, 25-10, 15-12 Ladycat win.

After facing a 24-23 match-point deficit in Game 3, Hallsville (5-5) outscored Lee 46-25 to complete the comeback.

Hallsville setter Haley Boyett's huge night fueled the Ladycats.

She recorded a career-best 55 assists and added three aces, while Erin McCallum tallied a match-high 19 kills. Allison Lawrence had 15 kills and four blocks. Savannah McAmis added 14 kills and one block, while Junesha Williams had five kills during the match-turning third game.

Hallsville led early in the first three games before Lee came back each time, beating the Ladycats in the first two and putting them against the ropes in Game 3. Second-year head coach Kayla Jackson, a former Hallsville multi-sport star who played softball at Arkansas-Monticello, said finding a way to win the third game turned the tide for the Ladycats.

"I think just finally winning helped us get confidence because we were playing not to lose, and you can't play that way," Jackson said. "You've gotta play to win every point, and us getting up and letting them come back was a fear."

Boyett's setting was on target all night and helped three Ladycats reach double figures in kills. Jackson said the performance was what Hallsville's coaching staff has grown to expect from Boyett.

"Last year as a sophomore I put her in because I know that she's a great setter and she can run the floor. She has that ability to get us where we need to go," Jackson said. "She's a junior and we've still got a long ways to go, but she's definitely a great player for us."

Tyler Lee's Rebekah Bowden almost pushed the Lady Raiders (6-4) to the Game 5 win. She had four kills in the closing points, the final one cutting Hallsville's lead to 13-12 before the Ladycats ended the match with back-to-back Lawrence and McAmis kills. Bowden led Lee with 16 kills, four blocks, and two aces, while Claire Himes added 12 kills.

Lee's Nicole Trpkosh and Genesis Borens shared setting duties. Trpkosh had 26 assists and Borens had 11.

Hallsville built a 17-6 Game 3 lead before Lee caught fire behind the attack of Bowden and Caroline Lynch to take a 24-23 lead and put Hallsville against the ropes.

But Hallsville fought back, getting two McCallum kills to take the game, 29-27. That led to a dominant Game 4, which started with a 15-4 Ladycat lead and ended in a 25-10 win to send the match to the decisive Game 5.

Hallsville led 5-2 before Lee tied the score 9-9 and 11-11, but a Lee service error sparked a 4-1 Ladycat run to end the match.

Hallsville and Lee play in the Tyler tournament Thursday through Saturday.