MONROE, CT — Pushed to match point and trailing by four, Masuk High’s boys volleyball team came back to win game four and force a decisive fifth set when Newtown visited on April 7.
In the end, Newtown prevailed 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 24-26, 15-12).
The Nighthawks led 24-20 and were on the verge of victory before Masuk rattled off six straight points. Ryan Barringer’s kill tied things and a pair of hits out of bounds by Newtown capped Masuk’s comeback.
After Newtown jumped out to a three-point lead in the fifth, the Panthers kept things close. Nate McCauley had a block for a point to make it 4-2 Newtown and Owen Smith recorded back-to-back kills to make it 5-4 in favor of the visitors.
The set continued to be a close one with the Nighthawks seizing four more three-point leads only to see the Panthers claw back to within a point or two each time.
Key hits for points by McCauley and Barringer kept things interesting all the way through.
McCauley finished with 19 kills, 5 blocks and 13 digs; Barrringer had 11 kills; Nathan Kurkoski logged 38 assists; and Jake Moreno compiled 13 digs.
The Panthers have a rematch with the Hawks, on the road, Monday, April 11 at 6 p.m.
