Eastern Wayne won its first game of the season during a tri-match against Greene Central and Kinston on Saturday.
Greene Central defeated the Warriors in straight sets, but against Kinston, Eastern Wayne mounted a comeback in the first set and turned back Kinston 28-26, 22-25, 25-16, 25-11.
Trailing 8-1 in the first set struggling against Kinston, the Warriors pieced together a white-knuckle rally.
The Warriors fought back and forged an 18-18 tie. The Warriors then outscored Kinston 10-8 down the stretch of the first set, while a Taylor Ward kill capped off the Warriors’ comeback in the first set.
In the second set, Eastern Wayne assumed a quick 8-3 advantage in the match only to see Vikings take a 23-22 lead, and forcing Eastern Wayne head coach Stephen Gross to call a timeout.
But coming out of the timeout, the Vikings used back-to-back kills to win the second set.
The third set featured multiple ties and lead changes, but with the score tied 14-14, the Warriors went on an 11-2 run to win the third set 25-16.
With the score tied 7-7 in the fourth set, an ace from Natalie Ham gave the Warriors an 8-7 lead. The Warriors never lost the lead and controlled the rest of the fourth set, while a kill from Michaela Gray gave the Warriors the win.
Eastern Wayne, now 1-2 overall, travels to face Southern Wayne (1-1) on Wednesday. First serve is 5 p.m.
