POSEN – Hillman and Posen went the distance in a hard fought volleyball match Thursday at Posen High School.

In the end, the Tigers came away with a victory in five games, 25-23, 13-25, 25-20, 19-25 and 15-13.

“I am very happy with our teams performance tonight. We had a lot of underclassmen out there and I just told them not to get nervous and just play their game. We did a good job attacking the ball and we came together as a team. We just look to improve each and every night.” Hillman coach Amy Moir said.

The Vikings had an 18-13 lead in game one, but let it slip away as Hillman scored eight consecutive points to pull ahead and take the first game of the night.

Posen came out strong in game two, using a 15-1 run to bury the Tigers and tie the match up at one game apiece.

Hillman regained its confidence and momentum, jumping out to an early 12-5 lead in game three. The Vikings battled back, which was a trend for the remainder of the night. Posen scored five straight points to cut the Tigers lead to just two, but came up short in the third game.

The Vikings put together a huge comeback in game four. Hillman led 15-8 early, but saw their lead fade away as Posen put together a 12-2 run to secure a win and force a fifth and final game.

The Tigers jumped out to a lead in game five and led nearly the entire way. Posen, as it did all night, battled back. The Vikings fought back from a four point deficit twice, but were unable to tie or take the lead, losing a close game on their home court.

“It is our biggest problem once we find the wave. We are up and then we are down. It’s just so frustrating battling back, but momentum is something that we struggle with. The game is all momentum and if you’re unable to keep the momentum then you’re in trouble. We just need to pick it up a little more. It’s a mind game and we’re trying to figure it out.” Posen coach Laurie Maynard said.

Jenna Hincka had a solid night for the Vikings, dishing out 15 assists and adding six aces. Jolene Reese had 10 kills in the contest.

The Tigers were led by Kristen Kenyon who had 13 kills and five aces. Kalen Tchorzynski added 24 digs and eight kills. Brooke Jones chipped in with 16 digs and eight aces.

Posen will be in action Tuesday when they travel to Atlanta. Hillman will also be on the road Tuesday when it plays Rogers City.

Jonny Zawacki can be reached via email at jzawacki@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5690.