In the end, the Dunkirk Marauders came out on top in the comeback of the high school sports season.

The Dunkirk Marauders varsity volleyball team came from behind, two sets to none, to beat the rival Fredonia Hillbillies, three games to two, 30-32, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23, in Tuesday’s match at Dunkirk High School.

“My girls wanted it,” said Dunkirk head coach Kodie Hoyt. “They didn’t let mistakes get them down, they utilized them. They focused on the next one, instead of the last one.”

Dunkirk was in control early in the first set, jumping ahead 16-9 on eight straight points. The Marauders split the next eight points with the Hillbillies, to hold a 20-13 lead in Game 1. Fredonia responded with nine of the next 11 points to tie the set at 22. Game 1 remained tied at every mark, all the way up to 30-30. Finally, Fredonia notched two straight points to come out on top of the first of many sets, 32-30.

OBSERVER Photo by Lisa Monacelli Tess Corell of Fredonia sets up a teammate while Dunkirk’s Amari Carter leaps up to block it.

“I thought we were asleep at the beginning, but I thought we finally woke up,” said Fredonia head coach Amanda Krakowiak. “I’m at a loss for words.”

Fredonia carried the momentum into the second game, as the Hillbillies jumped ahead 13-6. After a Dunkirk timeout, the Marauders began to mount a comeback, with eight of the next nine points to tie the game at 14-all. The game remained close until Fredonia’s 20-19 lead was capped off with five straight points by the Hillbillies to win the set 25-19.

“We don’t focus on a loss behind us, we focus on a win in front of us,” said Hoyt.

Down two sets to none, Dunkirk chose not to quit. The Marauders jumped out to a 10-5 lead in Game 3. Fredonia responded and battled back to take a one-point lead, 17-16. Dunkirk rebounded to take a 20-18 lead, then never trailed the rest of the set, holding off Fredonia for a narrow 25-22 win. The Marauders still trailed at that point, however, two games to one.

Much like Fredonia did in Game 2, Dunkirk rode the momentum from its first win of the match into the next game. Dunkirk started Game 4 with a 9-1 advantage. The Marauders led the entire game, but it looked like it might slip away at the end. With a 24-16 lead, Dunkirk allowed Fredonia to score five straight points with their backs against the wall in the set. The Dunkirk lead was cut to 24-21 before Fredonia was finally put away.

With each team claiming a pair of consecutive set victories, the final game was set up to decide the winner of the cross-town rivalry.

It couldn’t have been any closer.

Fredonia moved ahead early in Game 5, 12-6. Dunkirk responded with nine of the next 12 points to tie the set at 15, prompting a time out.

“We put ourselves in that position with some of the errors that we made,” said Krakowiak. “One of the big things was missed serves. We struggled with our serving today. I think that would’ve been the difference in some of these tight games. Making a few more serves at key points when we were down could’ve changed the momentum, and maybe a different outcome.”

Dunkirk, however, felt that serving was one of their strengths in the final game.

“I definitely think our serving was a part of it in our last game,” said Hoyt. “Our serving is what killed us earlier, but in the last game, it helped us a lot. The consistency is what helped lift us up.”

15-all was far from the only time in the deciding game that the teams were deadlocked. Both teams were tied again at 20, then one final time at 22. After well over two hours, it came down to the next team to score three points to win the rivalry matchup in Dunkirk.

In the end, the Marauders finally completed the comeback. On a battle at the net with a 24-23 Dunkirk lead, the Marauders came out on top for the final point. The victory sent the Marauders sprinting to the bench to celebrate. Teammates embraced with smiles, cheers and even tears, as exclamations of “We beat Fredonia!” emanated from the Dunkirk bench.

“My seniors, let’s just say, were the happiest that they can be from today,” said Hoyt. “I’m very proud of my girls. Whether we won or lost, I would still be proud of them.”

Fredonia, however, was left stunned after the improbable Dunkirk comeback.

“Our girls were off a little bit today,” said Krakowiak. “Dunkirk definitely capitalized on it and they deserved it. They didn’t give up.”

Moving forward, Fredonia travels to Brocton to face the Brocton/Westfield Lady Bulldogs on Thursday. The Hillbillies will surely remember Tuesday’s defeat, and will attempt to grow from it.

“The girls have to learn they have to play under this pressure, because especially when you get to playoffs or going further, you have to play under that,” said Krakowiak. “You can’t get timid, you can’t back off your game, because then you’re going to mess up. … You can’t give up, you have to want the ball, because that’s what’s going to get you through those tough situations.”

Dunkirk now carries a new level of confidence into its next match on Thursday at Forestville.

“It definitely tells us that the teams we’ve lost to in the beginning of the season, we definitely can get to and keep up with, more than we did before,” said Hoyt.

With the rest of the year left to be played, it’s too early to say what the biggest moment of the year is for either team. However, when it’s all said and done, it will certainly be hard to top Tuesday night in Dunkirk.

NOTES: Dunkirk’s Amari Carter led the te

am with seven blocks, along with 18 hits and three assists. Jessica Beehler led Dunkirk with 25 assists, along with five hits. Nadara O’dell led the team with 24 hits and added a block. … Fredonia had 12 aces and 12 assists from Tess Corell. Anna Valone had 12 digs, 11 kills and four aces, while Nagely Vazquez had seven aces and eight kills.

Twitter: @bradencarmen

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