Stirring comeback keeps Saints’ championship hopes alive

Winning would leave the door cracked for their chance at the playoffs, but just slightly; a loss would have sent them home on Sophomore Night with the knowledge that just two away matches remain in the season.

Mt. Hood would come through, beating the Clackamas Community College Cougars in four dramatic games (26-24, 19-25, 28-26, 25-21).

The Saints entered trailing Clackamas by three games for the fourth and final remaining playoff spot in the South Region. Mt. Hood came out strong, and won the first set 26-24. The set went back and forth, but in the end, the Saints pulled it out. It was clear the Saints knew what was at stake, just by the passion they showed after the first set.

In the second, the Cougars had full control heading into the final points. They led, 19-12, and it didn’t seem the Saints had a chance. Then Mt. Hood made a late push, pulling within four points, making the game 22-18. The push was to little too late, though, and the Cougars won, tying the match at 1-1.

The third set seemed all too familiar. Mt. Hood trailed, 7-1. At 11-6, Alyssa Chung of Clackamas went down with a serious knee injury. After about 30 minutes, paramedics stretchered her off the gym floor. Clark recovered from the injury quickly, running its lead to 20-12, and looked sure to take a 2-1 lead in sets.

But that’s when the tides turned. MHCC came alive, as did the crowd. The score suddenly looked within reason, as the Saints trailed only 22-18. It felt a like déja vu to the second set.

After a long series of back-and-forth play, Mt. Hood won the set (normally first to 25 wins), 28-26. The place went wild, and it was the Saints who led the match.

Saints setter Erin Perry never felt they were going to lose, she said. “I really believe we’re good at coming back, and that was another example… I really believed we were going to come back,” she said.

Middle blocker Hannah Snyder said, “A lot of the balls we got lucky, blessed, we got blessed. I honestly believe that the Lord was with us.

“I couldn’t believe it, and we came back. Our team came together and pulled through… Going into the fourth set, it gave us a lot of heart and energy that we might not have had if we knew we had to go to five (to win),” Snyder said.

Set Four began, and it was clear from the beginning MHCC was going to take its momentum from the third set and use it to win the match. With each score, the crowd became louder and louder. The set was tied at 18. From there, the Saints took a 23-19 lead. With the fans on their feet, the Saints won 25-20. And the place went crazy.

After trailing big in the third set the Saints fought back, symbolic of their season. They struggled at points during the season, heading into the last few weeks with just one division victory. But they’ve turned it around and have shown true grit. Wednesday night was a testament to that fight, and it came on Sophomore Night – the final home match for sophomore players.

Perry said, “Us sophomores… to get the win on our Sophomore Night and just be happy” was something special.

What was so fun was how loud the game was. Parents passionately rooted for their daughters, in their last home game. The student section was rowdy, with four students shirtless, each with a letter painted on their chest spelling out H-O-O-D.

The chances of the Saints making the playoffs are slim, but it’s not impossible. Mt. Hood has two games remaining, at Chemeketa Community College tonight in Salem and at Clark College in Vancouver on Wednesday.

If they win both and Clackamas loses both of its two final matches, the Saints will hold the tiebreaker over Clackamas because they beat them twice in their three matches this season.

Perry had this to say about the Saints’ upcoming match against Chemeketa: “We just need to come out with our all, and we can win.” Her confidence was contagious as she weighed the team’s playoff hopes. “I think we have a really good chance at making it, our team can do it, I really think our team can make it,” she said.

Snyder had similar thoughts. “We have the talent, we know how to play, we’re all good players,” she said. “It’s just about cleaning up the mistakes… We’re focused on making the playoffs!”

Crazier things have happened. After all, the same evening that Mt. Hood beat Clackamas, the Chicago Cubs actually won the World Series.

Advocate Staff