Riverheads breaks skid

It’s about time Riverheads got a win.

Riverheads rallied in Game 3 to sweep Buffalo Gap 25-15, 25-17, 26-28 on Thursday night at Buffalo Gap to break a five-match losing streak.

“My kids played well, they finally played more as a team then they have been,” said Riverheads Coach Whitney Dove. “They have lost five in a row so they needed that.”

Game 1 started out pretty even as both teams kept the score within a point or two. Riverheads started to open it up at 10 all, running the score to 18-11 behind strong play from Kristen Moody and Katie Coffey. Coffey wound up with 11 service points for the night.

Riverheads kept the pressure on, never letting Gap get close. The Gladiators broke it open with kills from Tiffany Flesher, Coffey and Brooke Eavers to leave the Bison looking at a 10-point deficit at the end.

Game 2 saw more aggressive play from both teams. The score stayed close with kills answered with kills. Aces came more often for both sides. Both teams stepped up their net play.

Gap stayed close but could never wrestle the lead away for the Gladiators. In the end the Bison stalled at 17 and Riverheads had its second win.

Game 3 woke the Bison squad up. They took the lead from the start and fought hard to keep it. As the lead for Gap increased the Gladiators struggled to regain the edge. With Gap leading 14-8 Riverheads called time to regroup.

The Gladiators, behind strong play from Eavers, Moody and Coffey, whittled the difference down then took the lead at 19-18. Having come this far the Bison were not ready to give in. They swapped points, keeping it close then regaining the lead at 24-23.

“My girls played over-all really well,” said Gap coach Sara Bothkin. “Riverheads is tuff they dig up everything.”

Both side stepped up their defensive play working to keep the ball in play and hold on to the serve. With the score 27-26 in their favor Riverheads Tiffany Flesher slammed a kill home to take the match.

Buffalo Gap travels to Luray on Tuesday. Riverheads is at Page.