ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Never does the game of volleyball contain as much volley as it does when the Rocky River Pirates and Bay Rockets tangle on the hardwood. A series trend of taut tussles with extended point battles continued Tuesday when Rocky River defeated Bay, 3-1 (17-25, 27-25, 25-17, 25-17), at Rocky River Gymnasium.

The Pirates rallied from a first-set loss and a late deficit in set No. 2 in taking this latest battle in the War by the Shore. River also trailed early in game three, but momentum shifts were a mere subplot in Tuesday's rivalry story. The remarkable aspect of the competition -- and it is nothing new between these Great Lakes Conference foes -- was the tenacity displayed in the pursuit of (and defense of) every point.

Both sides attacked above the net with powerful strikes and crafty lobs. And both sides defended their 900 square feet of hardwood with dives and lunges, hustle and heart. And on the Pirate side, it was a swashbuckling six-man defense with all hands on deck. Led by Emily Slyman (21 digs), Austoria Miller (18), and Taylor Spies (18), Rocky River racked up a season-high 25.5 digs per set. Seven Double-R athletes tallied seven or more digs in the contest.

The Rockets led throughout in the opening game, mostly by a margin of 5-to-8 points. The 22nd point in that set was won by the visitors after a tremendous back-and-forth. Bay took a 14-8 lead with the point, and the near-even tug-of-war nature of that point seemed to set the tone for the rest of the match.

Game No. 2 was an even exchange in the early going. Bay opened a lead through the middle points and was up, 19-16, before a staunch River rally got the Pirates back to even and eventually first to the finish line in the 27-25 duel. A pair of key Rocky River service errors late were erased by the power game of Miller and Paige Waite. Both tallied monster kills late in the second, and Slyman provided a couple long, on-the-money set passes under pressure.

The Rockets took 11-of-the-first-18 points in game three. Rocky River would swing that deficit around and take a 20-16 lead before a Bay timeout. The Maroon & White came out of that timeout and decimated the Rockets, 5-1, the rest of the way to close out the 25-17 win.

Set No. 4 brought more long volleys, but it was a display of resolve and stamina for a River squad which led throughout in finalizing the contest.

For the match, the Pirates (3-2, 3-2 GLC) hit .225 on the attack. Austoria Miller registered a career-high 6.0 kills per set, 24 for the night. Miller hit a booming .381 while also leading the squad with a trio of service aces. Waite logged 16 kills against just four attack errors. Madie Shoaf landed a career-best 3.3 kills per set (13 total) in the home-court conquest.

Emily Slyman knitted the frontcourt effort together with a career high 13.8 assists per set (55).

For Slyman, what with the long volleys and the patient wait for points to be earned, it was a long night of knitting. But for a tenacious Pirate crew, an impressive one.


CANNON FIRE ...

DIG THIS: Rocky River posted 25.5 digs per game in Tuesday's tussle against Bay. That marks River's most digs in a single match since Sept. 3, 2019, when the Pirates played ... the Bay Rockets. In that match -- a 3-2 Rocky River win -- the Maroon & White recorded 28.4 digs per set. The Pirates' second-highest defensive-line output a year ago also came against Bay (24.2 digs per set in a 3-2 loss to the Rockets on Oct. 1). ... The War by the Shore has certainly lived up to that moniker in volleyball. The Pirates and Rockets have played 30 matches since 2007. Bay has won 16 of those and River has claimed 14 (including 8-of-the-last-10).

BAY-BASHER: With her 16 kills Tuesday, junior hitter Paige Waite has now registered 47 kills over Rocky River's last three matches against Bay. Waite's final kill Tuesday marked the 400th of her career.

OTHER MILESTONES: Senior setter Emily Slyman passed the 400-assist mark on Tuesday. She walked off the court post-match as the owner of 417 career helpers. ... Senior swatter Austoria Miller's first kill Tuesday night marked the 200th of her career. Miller is hitting a hefty .345 over River's last three matches.


by Skip Snow