Chagrin Falls spotted visiting Perry the first two sets then put things together to win the match, 3-2.
With the win, the Tigers improved their record to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in the Chagrin Valley Conference.
“It was an incredibly exciting match,” said Chagrin Falls coach Heather Piccone. “After the second set, I said to them, ‘We have worked hard to grow these last two weeks and nothing is going to show that more and feel better than proving we can come back and win this match,’ and they agreed. They believed they could. That’s half the battle in a match like that.”
Perry won the first set 25-18 and took a 2-0 lead with a 25-20 win in the second set.
“The first set, I would say we were overly hyped up,” Piccone said. “There were lots of fans; it was our first home game. We were over forcing points and simply had too many unforced errors from that. The second set, I take responsibility for. I tried a new line up and it caused confusion. The girls needed to calm down from set one and I should have kept a consistent lineup.”
Despite the 0-2 deficit, the Tigers never stopped believing in themselves.
Senior captain Kennedy Kurz sparked the Tigers in the third set.
“She served eight straight points in set three to light a fire in the team,” Piccone said.
Kurz finished with 23 service points, six aces and 11 kills.
The Tigers went on to win that set, 25-17, and the next two, 25-19 and 15-10, to seal the match.
Sophomore Lily Crouch came off the bench in the fifth set and recorded five blocks.
“Coming in during an intense match like that is a lot of pressure and she blocked five balls in a 15 points match,” Piccone said. “(Kurz and Crouch) were absolute clutch players tonight.”
Alyssa Edmiston and Ella Fearing both led Perry with nine kills. Edmiston also recorded 13 digs and Fearing had 11 with six aces. Candace Woodward posted a team-high 19 digs and also had five aces and Maddie Tharp posted a team-best 21 assists with 18 digs and two service aces.
Despite the rough start, the Tigers proved they can overcome the odds and any adversity they face in a match.
“Overall, this year’s team is comprised of selfless teammates who want to grow and are willing to put others before themselves,” Piccone said. “They have faith in me as a coach, in each other as teammates and in themselves. They can do that because they know that regardless of the outcome I will be proud of them as proper and respect their efforts”
