Rachel Bunner, Hale assistant coach Analyn Lerczak and head coach Kristi Benedict (far left) celebrate after the Eagles’ five-game victory over defending North Star League champion AuGres-Sims on Monday.
AuGres-Sims' Alicia Wright gets under a Hale hit during Monday's contest.
Brent Baker
Rachel Maher sends one back to the AuGres side during Monday's five-game thriller.

AuGRES-SIMS - Jan. 29, 2007 - Hale's up-and-down volleyball season returned to the "up" side in a big way Monday as the Eagles, playing with just six players, pulled off a five-game victory at AuGres-Sims.

The Eagles needed to score the final four points in the fifth game to take a 25-15, 12-25, 17-25, 25-20, 16-14 thriller over the defending North Star League champions.

"That is the kind of volleyball we're capable of," said Hale coach Kristi Benedict, whose team had suffered through a pair of disappointing defeats in its previous two outings.

The victory keeps Hale on the fringes of the NSL title chase, while the Wolverines fell out of a first-place tie with Posen into a three-way tie for second with Mio, while Hale and Hillman are two games off the pace.

Both teams were short key players as AGS was without the injured Sam Baron, costing them one of their most consistent front-line players, while Hale was without ill libero Heather Albaugh, giving Hale no substitutions in the grueling five-game series.

In a contest punctuated by a number of controversial calls and dueling crowds, the action on the floor in the riveting fifth game finally carried the day. Hale twice opened up four-point leads, but just when the Eagles were about to put it away, AGS responded with an Ashley Lynch tip and Jessica Stevenson's ace to get back in it. Amanda Nixon had a kill and Lynch followed with a block to give AGS a 12-10 lead, and after Hale tied it, a pair of Hale balls hit into the net put AGS on the verge of winning at 14-12.

But after Hale took a time-out, the Wolverines lost serve on a carry, Sabrina Provoast shifted the momentum with a tip and a floor-rattling kill to give the Eagles the lead, and Rachel Bunner's ace ended it.

The two teams took turns giving up plenty of unforced errors in splitting the opening two games. The Wolverines took control of the third game behind the front-line play of Lynch and Alicia Wright, and Ashley Pine, outscoring Hale 13-6 after a 12-11 start.

The Wolverines took a 3-0 lead in the fourth game, but the Eagles scored the next six points and, with Tarra Caverly picking up five kills, never gave up the lead .

For Hale, Terra Kelso had 22 digs and one ace; Rachel Maher had three aces, 15 assists and 18 digs; Elizabeth Lerczak had three aces and 23 digs; Caverly had two aces, six assists, 10 kills and 26 digs; Bunner had three aces, 17 digs and six blocks; and Provoast had eight kills, 33 digs and four blocks.

For AGS, Nixon had 15 kills, Lynch had seven kills and three blocks; Stevenson had six kills and 15 digs; and Taylor had 27 assists and 11 digs.

The Wolverines (9-6, 5-2) still have their NSL fate in their own hands, but can't afford any more losses if they hope to defend their league title. Hale (5-7, 4-3), which looked out of the race after consecutive losses to Hillman and Posen, needs to win out and hope that the other front-runners knock each other back into the pack.