The Fairfield High School girls volleyball team flipped the script Monday night.
After letting one slip away against Hamilton during the regular season, the Indians regrouped, refocused and returned the favor when it mattered most — beating the Big Blue 3-1 in a competitive Division I postseason opener at Lakota East.
Fairfield (12-11) advances to face Mason in the on Wednesday at 5 p.m., while Hamilton ended its season at 11-10 under first-year coach Veda Reister.
"This one in particular was a big deal to us," Fairfield coach Jessi Grimes said. "Losing in five to them during the regular season has been hanging over us. It fueled us and motivated us, but it also made us overthink. I feel like we put a lot of pressure on ourselves because it was such a big deal. So that win means even more now — we were able to finish."
The Indians' "next ball" mantra carried them through momentum swings. Hamilton took the first set 25-23 before Fairfield grabbed the second set 25-21, the third set 25-23 and the final set 25-20 to clinch it.
"It's definitely one of our catchphrases — our reset phrase out on the court," Grimes said. "It's not soccer where you can hold someone to zero points. They're going to score. Hamilton's a GMC team — they're competitive and good volleyball players. So it really is about focusing and treating every rally as a new opportunity."
The rematch embodied everything about postseason volleyball — long rallies, nerves and emotion between two Greater Miami Conference programs.
"Hamilton has done such an amazing job with their program," Grimes said. "That's years in the making. It's the best they've been in a long time. It's fun to have that Fairfield-Hamilton rivalry back."
Click here to read the original article.
