When Winters Mill volleyball coach Jerry Georgiana entered the Liberty gym for Wednesday night’s match, he did so with one of the hottest teams in the county behind him.
“This team doesn’t die,” Georgiana said. “They’re like the cardiac kids.”
Georgiana’s squad hadn’t dropped a set in the previous two matches and kept that impressive streak alive Wednesday as Winters Mill swept Liberty, 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-13).
“We are so much better than [people] realize,” Abigail Matti said. “You’re going to regret thinking that we’re just another team you can get an easy point against.”
Matti’s confidence was evident in her play, and during that first set, it was exactly what the Falcons needed as they found themselves down big. Liberty jumped out to a 12-3 lead before Georgiana called a timeout. Because the Falcons had been there before, they quickly knew what they needed to do to turn it around.
“Our motto is next ball,” Matti said. “We know we can do better, and even after you make a mistake, there’s another opportunity coming.”
After the timeout, the Falcons locked in, scoring 11 straight points during a 22-5 run to take the first set. Georgiana knew his team had not only the fight but also the skill — and the right person — leading the charge.
“Abby Matti is the spark, and she’s been the spark all season,” he said. “Every time she comes in, she’s 5-foot-4, but she hits like she’s 6-foot-5, she jumps like she’s 6-foot-5, and her spirit never dies. She just keeps on rolling.”
Even when the Lions regrouped and put pressure on the Falcons in a back-and-forth second set, Matti and her teammates didn’t flinch. Down by as many as nine, the Falcons stormed back again, and Katie Hegg put the Lions away to win the second set 26-24 — their eighth set in a row.
“I’m really proud of this team for just how much we can fight back when we’re down,” Taylor Palmer said. “That’s something that we’ve lacked in past years. I think it’s really beautiful how we can all just, like, work together and lift each other up.”
Palmer is another player Georgiana relies on heavily, and she came through the entire match. Despite not having the size of other teams, the Falcons were still able to block a lot of Lions shots throughout the game.
“Today I did really well with blocking,” Palmer said. “I don’t think I’ve connected like that in a while.”
The Falcons dominated the final set, leading 20-8 at one point as they looked to put the final nail in the coffin. Ultimately, they finished off the Lions, 25-13, improving to 4-1 on the season and 3-1 in Carroll County play.
“We want more for ourselves this year,” Palmer said. “We’re really fighting as hard as we can, and it’s good to see us coming out on top.”
The true test comes Friday, when the Falcons match up with defending county champion South Carroll. With that test comes another opportunity for Winters Mill to continue sending the message that they aren’t the same old Falcons, but a program that has developed into a strong unit capable of competing with the area’s elite.
“We’re a small team, but we put it all together,” Georgiana said with a grin. “We play together, and that’s what’s most important.”
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