STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Rocky River fell to Strongsville, 3-2, in Wednesday evening non-conference action.

The first Pirates-Mustangs match since 2013 saw the Maroon & White battle back from a 2-0 deficit with big wins in the third and fourth games. But Strongsville (7-9) rallied to close out the victory on home hardwood. The match marked River's second five-set match in a week: the Buccaneers dealt North Olmsted a 3-2 loss on Thursday.

Rocky River (7-8) was defeated by scores of 25-17 and 25-20 in games 1 and 2. The Pirates got back in the match with flip-side scores in games 3 and 4 (25-17, 25-20). The Mustangs took the fifth-and-deciding set, 15-7.

"The way we played in games 3 and 4 -- that's what we need to take into October," said head coach Brittany Morris. "We had a nothing-hits-the-floor attitude."

[Match stats unavailable at time of publication.]

The Pirates are scheduled to close out a three-matches-in-three-days stretch with a Thursday road tilt at Fairview.


by Skip Snow

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