Way-Back Wednesday: Reinhardt Women's Volleyball Overtakes 12th-Ranked The Master's (Calif.)
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
WALESKA, Ga. – The biggest win to-date for Reinhardt volleyball on the national stage took place on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 in the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship, presented by Delta Hotels, in Sioux City, Iowa, against 12th-ranked The Master's (Calif.).
This Way-Back Wednesday features a furious comeback that made more history as a program, as the Eagles dug themselves out of a 0-2 hole to earn their first pool play victory in the history of the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship, presented by Delta Hotels, in a 3-2 thriller over The Master's – 24-26, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-10.
With the win, Reinhardt (35-7) has a chance to lock down a spot as one of the final 16 teams remaining Thursday evening against Corban (Ore.).
"Tonight was a great win for our program and the AAC," head coach Brian Goodhind said. "Big step in the direction we want to take this program. The Master's has a very good program (top 15 team in the country) and we knew we were going to have to battle to pull off a win against a team like them. They are very well coached and loaded with talent. I thought we served really well tonight, 11 aces, and we won a lot of the scrappy balls; those points were huge in pulling this upset. Our offense was good for us in key spots, but we weren't clicking like we have been coming into the National Championship.
To date, this was the biggest win in the history of the Reinhardt volleyball program. The girls have a quote: 'Hold the Rope.' Tonight, others tried to step up whenever anyone was off, and they held the rope. As proud as I am of the team, to God goes all the glory."
The match was full of runs on both sides of the net, as each team fought back in times of desperation. The first set was no exception, either, as the Mustangs found themselves up against the wall after the Eagles tallied three of four points to move ahead to set point at 24-20. The Master's would recollect itself and shock Reinhardt into a 1-0 deficit after scoring six-consecutive times to take the opening stanza.
Both teams would again go back-and-forth in the following game, and for the Eagles, they would be once again in front mid-way through the set before the Mustangs put strings of scoring together to grab a comfortable lead. Reinhardt would continue to claw its way back into contention, but couldn't get any closer than two points before the opposition went up 2-0 after back-to-back points.
Goodhind's group got off to a solid start when it needed it the most in stanza three, as the Eagles pushed its lead to 13-8 after five-consecutive points. Just like clockwork, however, the momentum started to turn again – this time in favor of The Master's – as the team got back within one point at 19-18. The Eagles would then score four times before the Mustangs would mirror the exact same result to stay within one at 23-22.
Each squad would score again before Brianna Baez killed a historic attempt to claim the first final site set in school history.
The scoring sprees would continue on both sides in set four after Reinhardt opened up a substantial lead only to watch it go away after four-consecutive points from The Master's. The Eagles would then return the favor in a big way with six-straight scores to move ahead, 14-8. The Mustangs would manage to get within striking distance, but couldn't get all the way back after both teams began alternating scores in the back-end of the set.
With Reinhardt up three (24-21), The Master's looked primed to complete another comeback after getting within one point, but an attack error ended the stanza and sent both teams to a deciding fifth set.
This time it would be the Eagles who would claw their way back from an early disadvantage and regain the lead following six-consecutive points and eight out of nine to move ahead in the first-to-15 set, 9-5. Both teams would again follow the other's lead and score on one another until a service error by the Mustangs opened the door for Reinhardt to make history.
Emily Charbonneau – who led the squad with 16 kills – wasted no time knocking that door down with a pair of scores to send her team into the win column in Pool E.
Carlee Baxter had 43 assists, and on defense, the group had six blocks and three players registered double-digit digs.
Charbonneau (10 digs) earned a double-double with Tessa Colden (14 digs and 12 kills).
Baez hit .389 with nine scores.
Statistical Leaders vs. The Master's
Kills: Emily Charbonneau (16), Tessa Colden (12), Brianna Baez (9)
Aces: Sophia Graziano (3), Emily Charbonneau (2), Kelley Adkins (2)
Blocks: Shadaisha Summerall (4), Lucy Zhao (2), Brianna Baez (2)
Assists: Carlee Baxter (43), Emily Charbonneau (2), Tessa Colden (1)
Digs: Kelley Adkins (17), Tessa Colden (14), Emily Charbonneau (10)
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For more information on Reinhardt Women's Volleyball, please click here.