After both having extra time off, the Antwerp Archers and the Hilltop Cadets will shake off the cobwebs and square off against one another at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Last Thursday, Antwerp didn't have quite enough to beat Paulding and fell 3-2. The defeat continues a trend for the Archers in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now lost three in a row.
Antwerp started the match hot and won the first two sets, but they struggled down the stretch and lost the last three. The match finished with set scores of 22-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-10.
Despite the loss, Antwerp saw an underclassman step up: Emery Jones had 14 digs and three aces. Those 14 digs set a new season-high mark for Jones.
Meanwhile, Hilltop got the win against Gorham Fayette on Thursday by a conclusive 3-0. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cadets.
Not only was the match a shutout, it was a big one: Hilltop took every set by at least 14 points. The final score came out to 25-11, 25-11, 25-9.
Hilltop was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 12 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least seven aces in six consecutive matches.
Antwerp's defeat dropped their record down to 7-15. As for Hilltop, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 19-3 record this season.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's contest: Antwerp has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 8.2 aces per game. However, it's not like Hilltop struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.2. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Antwerp might still be hurting after the 3-0 loss they got from Hilltop in their previous matchup back in September. Can Antwerp avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
