Hayti VB holds off challenge from Charleston for first W

Hayti High School junior outside hitter Canasia Rhines hits a shot against the defense of Charleston High School junior blocker Santavia Townsend on Monday at Charleston High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

CHARLESTON – The volleyball programs at both Hayti and Charleston High Schools have struggled through the years. However, those who attended the match pitting the two at Charleston on Monday wouldn’t have realized that by the competition.

In a thrilling, back-and-forth match, Hayti earned its first win of the season by rallying in the fifth set to claim the night 25-17, 26-28, 25-16, 19-25, 15-8.

“They have confidence in themselves,” first-year Indian coach McKenzie Putman said of her players. “They were able to find that confidence and were able to regroup and build each other up instead of shutting down.”

The Bluejays (0-5) made Hayti (1-5) work for every point throughout the night.

In the opening set, Charleston held an early 9-6 lead before Hayti rallied to tie the match at nine, which resulted in the Bluejays calling a timeout.

“This has been our thing lately,” third-year Charleston coach John Snider said following the match, “even when we are playing good teams at the beginning of this season, we would get up a few points and then we would get comfortable and relax.”

The set was tied at 15 before Hayti ran off six consecutive points and eventually won.

The Bluejays didn’t stay down for long, as Snider’s kids raced out to a 6-1 advantage in the second set, and Putman called for a break.

Putman called another timeout with her team still down 12-5, and the Indians still trailed 15-8.

Hayti notched four consecutive points and battled back to tie the match at 18, 19, and 23 points.

“Our communication has increased,” Putman said of her evolving group. “They are talking to each other. But I truly think it all falls to confidence.”

Charleston fought just as hard through the late stages of the second set and rallied from a 24-23 Hayti set point to win the set.

Again, the Bluejays held a quick lead in the third set (4-1), but Hayti tied the set at seven, which had Snider calling for a timeout.

That Indian mojo continued, as they built their lead to 14-7, and Snider called another timeout.

Charleston never got closer than three points (15-12) throughout the remainder of that set.

In the fourth set, it appeared that Hayti had the Bluejays down mentally, as the visitors took a 10-5 lead and the hosts took a timeout. However, Charleston fought back to take a 16-13 lead.

“These girls can (succeed),” Snider said. “If they believe in themselves. This team can do that and it shows on the court.”

Charleston had turned a 13-11 deficit in the fourth set into an 18-14 margin, which had Putnam calling a timeout, but the Bluejays stayed solid with their play and closed the set to tie the match at 2-2.

Charleston took a 6-3 lead in the final set, which caused Hayti to take a timeout, but the Indians clawed back to a 7-6 deficit, which had Charleston calling for a break. That momentum continued, as the Indians built a 10-7 lead and eventually won the match over the tiring Bluejays.

What made the victory more impressive was that Putman was forced to shift her lineup around on little notice.

Junior Olivia Taylor, Hayti’s starting middle, got a concussion recently and remains out. Putman had replaced Taylor with junior Canasia Rhines, but she was moved to the outside and was battling a throat infection.

“I am really proud of them,” Putman said. "We weren't playing with our regular group of starters."

The Indians will visit Campbell (4-6-4) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Charleston will visit New Madrid County Central (3-2) today.