DeForest girls volleyball wins five-set match over Milton

DeForest pulled out a five-set girls volleyball victory over Milton as coach Jay Messar saw encouraging signs in his team's play.

Through DeForest's first two conference games this year, each match was decided in the fifth sets.

The same transpired Tuesday evening as DeForest squeezed past the visiting Milton Red Hawks in five sets. DeForest won its fifth set by the thinnest of margins: 16-14.

“Things are starting to click,” Coach Messar said with a smile, whose team improves to 12-6 overall this year, including a 2-1 mark in conference play. “We talk a lot in practice that eventually, things are gonna are gonna lock into place, and we’re going to be a really good volleyball team.”

The first set was about as close as one could get. DeForest led by as many as five points, 16-11, but Milton quickly tightened the gap. The Red Hawks briefly took a 23-21 advantage, but DeForest rattled off four straight points to take the first set 25-23.

Five-set recap

In the second set, DeForest trailed early. However, DeForest responded from their 15-13 deficit with a mini 4-0 spurt to take a 15-13 lead — but it was the lone lead they would have.

Milton then responded with a 4-0 run, never surrendering their lead to take the second set 25-21 and tie the game at one apiece.

Then came the third set. DeForest trailed by as many as four points early, but slowly chipped away to tie the set for the first time at 15-15. Milton led 22-20, but DeForest shut the door quickly.

They outscored Milton 5-1 the rest of the way to win 25-23.

DeForest never led in the fourth set, but never trailed by as many as five points. Trailing 24-19 — their largest deficit of the set — DeForest rallied to get within two, but dropped the set 25-22.

And into the fifth and final set the two conference foes went.

DeForest started the set off with a piercing kill from sophomore outside hitter Brinley Schwenn before taking a 4-1 lead on a sharp kill by senior outside hitter Haylin Arnold.

Entering Tuesday’s matchup, the hard-striking duo on the attack has accounted for roughly 50 percent of DeForest's total kills on the year, according to MaxPreps.

“They carry a huge load for us,” Coach Messar said. “They are our workhorses on the outside. They get a lot of sets and they get a lot of attention from other teams, too. To have those two pieces like that on that outside when we need them and where we need them is a nice luxury to have.”

Senior outside hitter Haylin Arnold (left) and sophomore outside hitter Brinley Schwenn (right) have accounted for 51 percent of DeForest’s total kills this year.

But Milton didn’t go away.

Additional details

The Red Hawks responded to DeForest's flurry of kills with a 6-1 run to take a 7-5 lead.

Arnold stopped the run with a kill, and DeForest swiftly tied the game back up at eight apiece.

And back and forth the Red Hawks and the Noskies went. Deadlocked at 10 apiece, then 11 apiece, then 12 apiece, then 13 apiece and then 14 apiece, neither team wanted to budge.

That was until DeForest came through, scoring the last two points to take the 16-14 victory.

Coach Messar said he stresses with his team the importance of keeping a level head during the red-zone phase of the game — a phase they found themselves in during each of its five sets.

He felt his team maintained its poise Tuesday evening.

“That composure and being smart, knowing what tools to use in what scenario is that next level that I think we’re just starting to get into,” he said. “Hopefully we can keep building the rest of the season here.”

Up next for DeForest, DeForest will have the week off before resuming Badger-Large action at Beaver Dam on Tuesday, Sept. 22. They’ll follow at an invitational at Edgewood High School on Saturday, Sept. 26.