Lee Volleyball Puts Up Strong Fight in Semi-final Loss

ATHOL, Mass. -- Do not judge the Lee High volleyball team’s performance on Wednesday night based just on the 3-0 final score.

Yes, it was a straight-set loss to second-seeded Athol in the semi-finals of the Western Massachusetts Division 3 tournament.

No, that is not the whole story.

The whole story includes how the Wildcats rallied from a five-point deficit in the first set to tie things up on three different occasions.

It includes how Lee regrouped after a 10-point second-set loss to go toe-to-toe with the 2013 regional finalists through a thrilling third set that saw neither team lead by more than two and the two sides tie 16 times.

It includes an epic point with Lee ahead, 24-23, that took about a minute to play and featured both sides repeatedly diving to make digs as the Wildcats attempted to win a set to keep their season alive.

Unfortunately for Lee, the night did not include that elusive match point and ended with Athol moving on with a 25-21, 25-15, 26-24 victory.

Athol coach Amber Parker is well aware just how sorely her team was tested.

“We weren’t happy with the way we played [against Mahar in the quarterfinals],” Amber Parker said. “We were happy we got the win, but when we talked [Tuesday], we said, ‘Look, it’s going to be a short night if we play that way against Lee. They’re a good team.’

“Man, they’re a good team. They get so many balls up and just keep the play alive. At the 24-24 point, I bet there were 30 touches on that ball, if not more. It was a crazy long point. We feel lucky to come out ahead in a game like this.”

Tessa Neverett was the difference for the hosts on Wednesday night. The big-hitting senior collected 22 kills.

“She’s an incredibly smart player,” Parker said. “She knows when to go for power, and she knows when to go for position. She plays [volleyball] 12 months a year, and it shows.”

The Wildcats (19-2) tightened up their blocking, especially in the third set, to take away some of Neverett’s power game, but Athol adjusted with more precision placement to keep the set close.

Lee’s Sam Reynolds delivered a kill at 23-23 to set up the ‘Cats’ first set point of the night. But at the end of the “crazy long point,” Lee was called for a double hit, giving the serve back to the hosts (18-3) with the set tied.

Two points later, a service winner by Athol’s Alexis Hamlett ended the night.

Just before it ended, though, Lee coach John Warner was able to get a timeout to deliver a message meant for Reynolds and senior classmates Alyssa Kelly, Sam Farina and Casey Collins.

“Every year, I hate to see the seniors go,” he said. “I intentionally call a timeout toward the end of any of match when we get toward the end of the regular season, just to thank them for having put -- in all of their cases -- six years of volleyball at Lee.

“It’s always sad to see our players who are so dedicated to the game go. I just appreciate all of their service.”