RICHMOND HEIGHTS – Brooklyn snapped its winless streak to start the 2025 season with a 3-1 win over host Richmond Heights on Tuesday.
After dropping a hard-fought opening set, the Hurricanes battled back to earn their first victory of the year, 25-27, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19.
“The message was that we deserved to win,” said Brooklyn head coach Debbie Hall. “We worked for it, it was our time, and they had to keep pushing through. They had to believe that they deserved to win, and I thought that we had better plays, moving the ball around, and it was finally our turn.”
The first set was tight throughout. Brooklyn built a 16-11 lead on a Shalaya Strozier kill, but Richmond Heights rallied. A Raquel Dickson service ace sealed a 27-25 win for the Spartans.
Brooklyn answered in the second set. Mia Glover and Reannan Konopka combined for three aces as the Hurricanes jumped out to a 6-1 lead. They never looked back, evening the match with a 25-17 win.
The third set was another back-and-forth battle early before Gianna Kos put Brooklyn ahead, 18-14, with a kill. The Hurricanes carried that momentum to a 25-15 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
Richmond Heights looked strong early in the fourth, using a kill from Charity Boyd and a service ace from Marley Harper to build a 9-2 lead. But Brooklyn responded with a 9-1 run behind the serving of Ariana Taylor to go up 11-10.
The teams traded points until Brooklyn finally broke through. A block and kill from Niema Davis helped the Hurricanes take a 22-19 lead, and Davis capped the night with the match-winning kill for the 3-1 victory.
The win was especially sweet for Brooklyn after suffering recent five-set heartbreakers against Trinity and Medina Christian Academy.
“It’s an amazing feeling because the girls really did deserve this win,” Hall said. “I’ve been telling our AD that with how they’ve been battling, it was our turn, and they deserved it. They worked so hard, and the fact that with all the practice, I could see it coming into fruition. I’m very proud of them, they stuck to it, and they didn’t let (Richmond Heights) in, and came out with the win.”
Hall credited her team’s mindset for carrying them through rough patches.
“They overcame (the struggles), and just continued to win (each play),” she said. “I knew they had it, and I told them to keep the winning attitude. That’s what I told them all night, and they had to keep it up. Don’t worry about the mistakes, wipe them off and play the next play. Once that’s over, go to the next play.”
Kos led the Hurricanes with five kills. Davis added six kills and four blocks, Glover finished with four kills and three aces, and Lena Doan tallied 13 assists.
Olivia Hayes paced Richmond Heights with six kills and two blocks. Boyd chipped in four kills and two aces, while Harper recorded 11 assists.
Brooklyn (1-10) visits conference-leading Independence on September 11, while Richmond Heights (1-6) hosts Brush the same day.
