FIELD TWP –The Grizzlies were a point away from victory in games 4 and 5, but the resilient Nighthawks rallied to take both games (26-24 and 16-14) and win the match in a marathon nail-biter punctuated by long volleys and stellar defensive play on both sides.

Northeast Range also took the first game in their 3-2 win over North Woods. After trailing 21-16, the Nighthawks went on a roll, scoring nine points to win the opening game 25-21.

Asked how he inspired his team to come from behind in three games, Nighthawks Head Coach Jim Mackai joked, “We threatened to make them run home.”

Mackai said his team at times this season has played really well when the squad falls behind. “It doesn’t really bother them when they’re behind,” he explained. “They find a way to get back into the game. They’ve set goals for themselves this year and they’re not going to quit on the floor.”

Grizzlies Head Coach Tom Burnett said both teams are evenly matched and played well. “Half the time we’re going to beat them and half the time they’re going to beat us,” he said. “There were definitely some crucial points we didn’t get and you could feel their momentum building.”

The two squads slugged it out in the opening game with North Woods pulling ahead 21-16 late in the contest. But the Nighthawks, using a mix of hard-hit spikes and well-placed tips, came back to take the game 25-21.

The two teams swapped points in the opening minutes of game 2, battling to a 7-7 tie. But the Grizzlies’ aggressive offense, led by the trio of Darby Youngstrom, Tessa Mankus and Destinie Villebrun, put North Woods in front and led to a 25-21 win for the Grizzlies.

Game 3 was a near carbon copy. With the game tied at 15 apiece, North Woods opened up a small 19-17 lead and more than doubled their advantage to take a 21-17 lead. The Nighthawks narrowed the gap to 23-20 but the Grizzlies took the match 25-21.

The Grizzles seemed about to put the match away in game 4, leading 24-21, but again the Nighthawks came back, tipping balls to the open spots on the floor with precision.

“We didn’t do as good a job of covering their tips as they did ours,” said Burnett. “Our girls can’t wait for the ball to hit their spot. They have to be ready for it.”

Northeast Range went on to win the game 26-24 with five consecutive points, sending the match to a fifth game.

The Grizzlies were on the verge of victory once again, taking a 9-3 lead before the Nighthawks narrowed the gap. The Grizzlies were up 14-11 after a well-placed tip by Hunter Midthun, but the Nighthawks took back the serve on the next play and rolled up four more points to steal the game 16-14.

The Nighthawks were led by junior middle hitter Brielle Wills, who racked up 18 kills and 16 digs. Signe Scholl also had a big night, recording nine kills, 15 digs and 49 set assists.

Other standouts for Northeast Range included Tori Barsness, who concluded the night with eight kills and 17 digs; Katie Lenci, who tallied 11 kills and 20 digs; and Chloe Kaufenberg, who notched eight kills.

The Grizzlies were led by Youngstrom, who finished the night with 22 kills, two ace serves and nine digs. Mankus tallied 20 kills and eight digs, while Villbrun recorded 15 kills, 30 set assists and six digs.

Emily LaPatka, who was 100 percent on her serves, added two aces and 16 set assists; Jessica Harmston had seven digs; and Megan Brodeen and Zoe Bystrom each contributed three kills.

The Grizzlies’ next match is against Nashwauk-Keewatin on Monday at home and they finish the regular season against Cherry at home the following Tuesday.

Northeast Range will play Cherry at home on Monday and face Duluth Marshall at Duluth on Tuesday to close out their regular season.

Both Mackai and Burnett expect tough sledding in the Section 7A playoffs, which begin Oct. 21.

Although Northeast Range is rated No. 2 in its subsection while North Woods is No. 6, Mackai said, “There’s not much justice to the rating system. North Woods could just as easily be ranked No. 1 or No. 2. There are about eight teams in the subsection that, on the right night, could up end up winning the subsection.”