Cormier Leads Taconic to Five-Set Win over Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Taconic junior Gracelyn Cormier Monday had the biggest game of her career and put down the biggest kill of the night to secure a five-set win over PIttsfield High.

 

Cormier collected 20 kills, including one at match point, as Taconic survived for a 21-25, 25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 15-13 win and a season sweep of its city rival.

 

After stumbling in the first set, the Thunder rumbled to a 2-1 lead and appeared to be cruising to a four-set win when it took a 14-6 lead on a nine-point run on Frances Macioge’s serve in the fourth.

 

But Pittsfield rallied to win that set and force a deciding fifth.

 

The Generals then took an early lead in the fifth when Aurielle Abellie’s kill gave the visitors at 7-4 lead.

 

And it was 10-7, Pittsfield when Byrd Winters put down a kill off Taconic’s block.

 

But Taconic rallied with three straight points on Melina King’s serve to take the lead and never trailed again.

 

It earned its first match point with a Cormier tip to make it 14-11, but Pittsfield fended off two match-point chances before cashed in an assist from Kiara Burston to end the night.

 

“[Pittsfield] definitely tried their best in getting back up,” Cormier said. “But we were able to get our energy up there, and we were able to step up our game. And were able to just get it, get it, get it.

 

“It was amazing.”

 

Burston led Taconic with 18 assists, and Macioge set up 13 points. Isla DiMassimo had a team-high 12 digs, and Mollie Crawford, Macioge and Melina King each served five aces.

 

Cormier also finished with five aces and two blocks, giving her 27 direct points together with her 20 kills. 

 

“In the fourth set we led 15-6 after a great 10 serving run by Frances Macioge,” Taconic coach Lance Fyfe said. “I guess we started to let up, and PHS came back and won that set.

 

“We found ourselves down 4-9 in the 5th set, but decided it was ‘Gracie Time.’  She had been having an awesome night offensively up to that point, and she didn't let us down.”

 

Pittsfield was led by Gracie Gavin with nine kills, and Sawyer Burdette passed out 13 assists. Isabelle Nkrumah anchored the defense with 16 digs, and Hannah Burtt and Abellie finished with 12 and 11 digs, respectively.

 

The Generals, who dropped a three-set decision to Taconic in the season opener, opened Monday’s match with a four-point run on Nkrumah’s serve to grab a 5-0 lead when Abellie put down a kill.

 

Taconic pulled within two, but then Winters served four straight points to establish a 15-7 lead.

 

The Thunder rallied late to get within two, but Winters’ kill at 23-21 gave Pittsfield a set point, and Nkrumah’s kill put the Generals ahead, 1-0, in the match.

 

The second set went back and forth until a three-point run on Aurora Rose-DeMarco’s serve opened up a 20-15 Taconic lead late. The teams then traded side outs until DiMassimo’s ace evened the match.

 

In the third, Taconic opened up a big lead when DiMassimo served six straight, getting a couple of kills from Jill Koomson along the way, to go ahead, 16-9. Later, King served four points in a row, and Crawford ended the set with a three-point run that ended in a kill by Cormier to get the match to 2-1.

 

After falling behind early in the fourth, Pittsfield fought back.

 

“They showed a lot of heart,” Pittsfield coach Katara Mullett said. “I think the big part of it is I have eight seniors on my varsity team this year. Knowing it’s most likely the last time they’re going to play Taconic, they all gave me everything they had. I could not be prouder of them for the way they pulled it out and kept going, just kept fighting. I couldn’t say my team last year or even earlier this year would have done the same thing.”

 

Gavin served three aces in a six-point run that got Pittsfield within a point at 16-15. Still, Taconic managed to make it 23-19 on a Cormier kill late.

 

But a ball-handling error against Taconic gave Pittsfield a side out down 23-20, and Burtt served the last five points to even the match.

 

That made the fourth five-set match for Taconic in its last seven games, experience that came in handy.

 

“We did say that in the change [between the fourth and fifth sets],” Fyfe said. “I wasn’t even the first one to say it. This was our fourth time, and we’ve won three out of four of those now.

 

“So we do well under pressure. I think it’s similar to procrastinating. I do a better job when i only have an hour left to do something.”

 

Pittsfield kept the pressure on, making the mid-set switch with an 8-4 lead.

 

But Taconic narrowed that margin a few side outs later, using three straight points on King’s serve to take its first lead of the set since 1-0 when a long Pittsfield hit made it 11-10, Thunder.

 

After a couple more side outs, Crawford served two straight points, the second on a Cormier tip, to give Taconic a 14-11 lead, setting the stage for Pittsfield’s last stand and Cormier’s game-winner.

 

Taconic (8-3) is at Lenox on Wednesday.

 

Pittsfield (4-6) hosts Wahconah on Wednesday.

 

Photos from this game to come.