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Hubbard rallies to stun Crestwood for district title
Hubbard storms back from 2-0
deficit to stun Mantua Crestwood
By Curtis Pulliam
Beloit
Kiana Martinez faced a harsh reality Wednesday night.
The Hubbard senior volleyball player was facing perhaps the last set of her high school career as the Eagles trailed top-seeded Mantua Crestwood, 2-0.
“After we got into the huddle after the second set, we came in and said, ‘We have to play it like it’s our last game,’” Martinez said.
Third-seeded Hubbard did just that.
The Eagles — facing elimination in a Division II district final at West Branch High School — seized control of the match and won the last three games to snatch a regional berth from the Red Devils with a 3-2 victory.
The games were 19-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-13.
Hubbard will play the winner of the Tallmadge district in a regional semifinal Wednesday at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. The Eagles will face either Akron Hoban and Tallmadge. Those teams meet tonight.
“It finally kicked in that this could be our last game,” Martinez said. “We did everything we could to not let that happen. Everything just clicked.”
Hubbard head coach Jeremy Porter knew what the difference was.
“Senior leadership,” Porter said. “They seniors didn’t let us go down. They wanted it.”
The turnaround started midway through the third game.
Crestwood had a 2-0 lead in the match and a 10-8 lead in the third game, but Macey Sarisky delivered a kill and the Eagles scored 10 of the next 12 points to take the game.
Hubbard struggled in the first two sets getting the ball to senior captain and hitter Caitlin O’Hara, but she made her presence felt with eight kills in the final three games.
“Caitlin is a very dominating player,” Porter said. “She’s an unbelievable athlete and she really came through when she needed to in the middle.”
O’Hara said she didn’t mind the ball coming her way.
“It’s kind of scary, but I don’t really try to think about it when I’m playing,” she said.
Martinez had 24 digs for the Eagles.
“Coach just told us to keep our heads up,” Martinez said. “And he told the seniors to take charge.”
Red Devils head coach Brittany Dye couldn’t believe what happened.
“We didn’t play together,” she said. “It was not our best performance. We were used to sweeping people, so once they won that third game it was difficult for us to come back because we haven’t been in that situation.”
Crestwood (23-2) battled in the fourth game, but Hubbard prevailed and kept the momentum. The Eagles took a 12-6 lead in the decisive fifth game.
But Dye and the Red Devils regrouped during a timeout.
“I reminded them of the connection we have,” she said. “To be honest, I told them I was expecting. So they motivated themselves and were playing for the baby.”
Crestwood tied it at 13, but Hubbard scored the last two points for the title.
Hubbard (19-5) got 16 kills from Sarisky and Emily Krinos had 44 assists.
“I’ve been coaching a very long time and it doesn’t get any better than that,” Porter said. “That was like a fairy-tale volleyball game.”
The Eagles stared elimination in the face and didn’t blink.
“I’m so excited and I’m so happy and I love my team,” O’Hara said.
“It just came as a shock to me,” said Martinez after the last point was on the board. “I just burst out in tears and I’m so happy to win and win with this team.”