Hamilton players prepare to defend a 2 games to 1 lead Thursday in their quarterfinal match with Mtn. Pointe.

 

Mountain Pointe got all it could handle Thursday night from a team that hadn't won a set from it in two previous matches this season. That team -- Hamilton -- was healthier than it had been much of the season.

The third-seeded Pride battled back from an 0-2 deficit to advance to the 6A semis for the second year in a row with an exciting 20-25, 23-25, 25-15, 25-14, 15-13 victory over the sixth-seeded Huskies at Mountain Pointe.

Mountain Pointe (35-7) gets another shot at defending champion and No. 2 Corona del Sol (a sweep winner over Horizon) in next Tuesday's 5 p.m. semi at Mesquite High School. Hamilton saw its season end with a 25-16 mark and gave a glimpse of what might have been had health been on its side all year.

Mountain Pointe has two outstanding seniors in setter Gabby Leo and libero Anna Morse, who were their usual selves. The big lift for the Pride came from freshmen Jahara Campbell and Bria Samilton, Samilton, who chose to have her best game of her young career in the biggest match of the year to date. Sophomore transfer Kahrizma Kyles, a middle, was a thorn as well with 10 kills.

Campbell led Mountain Pointe with 17 kills, Samilton and Avery Luoma added 15 each and Piper Manross chipped in with 13. Morse led the defense with 28 digs and Samilton had 24. Perhaps the biggest dig came from Leo in the fifth set.

After spotting Hamilton a 2-0 lead, Mountain Pointe rallied and was up 9-5. Hamilton appeared to have a sure kill, but Leo lunged at the far corner of the court to one hand a long return. Luoma ended up in the exchange with a kill -- a two-point swing in a 15-13 final. Hamilton had a call on a ace overturned in the set as well so good fortune was not the Huskies in the decider. A Luoma kill closed the match, but only after Hamiilton nearly came back from and 11-5 deficit.

"We were up and down," Mountain Poine coah Karen Gray said "Im not sure we ever found a rhythm. Hamilton came ready to play. We knew they would. But Bria. She had a a great game...."

"There is a great save that went viral on video. Gabby said she wanted one of her own. That was a goal. Now she has one."

Mountain Pointe dropped the first two sets -- the second after it looked like it would overcome a 20-12 deficit late only to fall, 25-23. The third set the Pride blitzed the Huskies,easily forcing a fourth. Hamilton bolted to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set, but Mountain Pointe rebounded with Samilton and Campbell teaming up for nine kills.

"We haven't battled like that all year," Hamilton coach Sharon Vanis said. "The girls gave a great effort We had our chances. You have to hand it to Mountain Pointe. They played well. Their middles just killed us in sets three and four."

Hamilton played through injuries to two key players from last year -- junior outside hitter Taylor Jacobsen and middle Nya Buckner. Jacobsen returned to play in only the final four matches of the season and Buckner missed a large chunk over a three-week stretch from late September to October.

Jacobsen had her best match of the season on Thursday. Senior all-around outside Darian Clark led Hamilton with 13 kills and Jacobsen contributed 12. Sophomore libero Bailey Williams led with 25 digs and senior setters Shannon Ryan and McKenna Smith were good for 25 assists and 24 assists, respectively.