Madison Volleyball Sweeps Host W.T. Woodson, 25-21, 25-14, 25-21, on Tuesday Despite Losing its Starting Setter Late Monday Night to Injury

Madison junior setter Samantha MacReynolds was dressed in full Warhawk red-and-black Tuesday night, her black No. 12 jersey atop match spandex. Even her hair was pulled back tight. But there were two unwanted additions to her uniform: A large brace on her right ankle and crutches.

MacReynolds was injured in the last 15 minutes of practice Monday night and is out for the rest of the season with ligament damage. That revelation left Warhawk Coach Carrie Hall scrambling Tuesday morning to figure out a new starting rotation.

What she came up with certainly worked.

 Madison swept host W.T. Woodson Tuesday night, 25-21, 25-14, 25-21, with senior libero Tara Safaie filling in at setter for the first time this season. That switch left her younger sister, Tina Safaie, to play libero with help from junior defensive specialist.

"She had not set all year," Hall said of Tara Safaie. "She was not a setter. But she did great. And the two that played in place of her on the back row were two bench players who hadn't seen much time, but they did great, too. I was very pleased with the way we came together out there."

With a mix of powerful and savvy hitting by sophomore middle Erin Kavanagh and a consistent stroke by senior outside Emily Hearle, the Warhawks (7-5) jumped to a 16-11 lead in Game 1 and never looked back.

Even when Madison fell behind by six points early in Game 2, they rallied quickly with four service points by junior Jessica Tallent followed by eight by Hearle sandwiched around just one W.T. Woodson serve. In that stretch that Warhawks turned an 8-2 deficit into a 16-9 advantage.

"I think we played really well for having people injured and going around in different places," Kavanagh said. "It was a really good win ... it was one we were struggling with so it was a really good win for us."

The third game proved the most competitive, as the Warhawks and Cavaliers (5-5) traded points at a rapid pace early on and found themselves deadlocked at 2, 6, 8, 9 and 15 points. The turning point came with Woodson leading 13-11, when senior Jennifer Younes fired a shot from the left side down the line that the Cavalier players and coaching staff thought landed inside the line. The official disagreed and called the ball out -- a decision that left Woodson Coach Len Palaschak with a yellow card and crowd screaming in disbelief.

But the official held firm, so instead of a three-point lead for the Cavaliers it was the Warhawks who pulled within one. Madison tied the score at 15 and then on a Woodson error and got three more service points by Hearle to open an 18-15 lead that it would not relinquish.

"There was a questionable call on the court and the momentum shifts immediately because the girls see that ball in," Palaschak said. "So they were already celebrating and thinking they had the ball and all the sudden ... you could just look at their whole demeanor just changed just like that on the floor after that call."

Palaschak said his team, which was led by the powerful serving of freshman setter/defensive specialist Jacqueline Palaschak and the solid all-around play of junior middle Rachel Barfield and senior outside hitter Katherine Driscoll, has struggled to maintain its focus all season.

"We've been up-and-down all season," he said. "It's been rough, and the girls know it. And they're trying to find something that motivates them to keep them in the game. And that's been hard for them.

"I think I have a great team and they've just got to want to show up and play. I have some incredible ballplayers on the team, it just depends what team shows up."

** To see complete highlights from Tuesday's match, as well as a video interview with Madison senior outside hitter Emmily Hearle, click on the "Volleyball" sports central link at the top of the DigitalSports.com home page.