Mount Pulaski tops Athens in
Tomahawk action
[September 05, 2025]
Mount Pulaski hosted the Athens Warriors on Thursday night in
the first Tomahawk Conference matchup of the season and it was the
Hilltoppers coming out on top 25-23, 14-25 and 26-24.
Set one
Mount Pulaski dug themselves into a shallow hole early, trailing 7-2
before finally seeing daylight. With the score 10-10, the Warriors
ran off four quick points to build up yet another substantial lead.
Olivia Smith’s kill from the back row would give Mount Pulaski
another tie, 16-16 the score. Elayna Marten’s ace finally put Mount
Pulaski on top for the first time in the set, 18-17 the score. A
strong kill by Ella Martin kept Mount Pulaski in the lead, 20-18.
After an ace by Martin, the score was stretched to 22-18. The
Hilltoppers were up 24-20 when the Warriors threatened the lead.
With the score 24-23, Smith ended set one on a monster kill and
Mount Pulaski really earned that 25-23 win.
Set two
Mount Pulaski only had six kills in the entire set, with Olivia
Smith and Elayna Marten getting two kills each and Addison Brown and
Ella Martin each nailing one kill. The teams traded points early,
with Mount Pulaski taking a 7-5 lead after one of Smith’s kills, but
then the wheels on the bus fell off for the Hilltoppers. The
Warriors ran off nine straight points and the details are just too
ugly to talk about. By the time the score was 22-12 in favor of the
Warriors it was just a matter of ending this set and moving on.
Mount Pulaski took the 25-14 loss and needed the time between sets
to regroup.
Set three
Mount Pulaski had a battle on their hands in set three for sure. The
Warriors were able to keep a consistent three-point lead until
Martin closed the gap with a tip to make the score 7-8. Finally,
some mistakes allowed Mount Pulaski to take their first lead over
the Warriors. At that point the score was 10-9 Toppers. Smith seemed
to flip a switch and her first kill of the set absolutely deflated
the ball and she was fired up with her team on top 11-10.
Once again Mount Pulaski got down by a couple points and they had to
fight back to a 14-14 tie. Same story kept repeating itself. Down
17-19, Mount Pulaski got an ace from Martin followed by a kill down
the line by Smith and yet again it was a tie ballgame. Smith broke
the 20-20 tie with another kill down the line. But the Warriors
refused to give up the fight and they took a one-point lead after
putting the block on Smith. Smith retaliated by going through the
block on her next swing and Mount Pulaski and Athens were knotted up
23-23. It was the Warriors turn to take a one-point lead again and
this was getting intense. It was up to Smith to knock down another
kill, this one was deep in the corner and once Smith was assured it
was in, she stomped her feet in celebration.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats with the score 24-24.
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Smith trotted to the service line and this time as the Warriors set
up the ball, their outside hitter swung hard and the ball landed way
out of bounds past the Toppers defense. Smith’s serve for game point
was a good one. After the Warriors returned it, Audrey Cooper was
able to get the ball to the setter, Alyson Murphy. Murphy got the
ball high in the air for Marten and she hit it over, with the
blocker getting a hand on it, but the other defender could not save
it and the ball bounced from the net to the floor.
And that’s how Mount Pulaski earned the first Tomahawk Conference
win of the season. It was a nail-biting 26-24 win that every player
helped earn.
Special shoutout to Piper Tyson who played really well at the net in
set three and had a terrific kill early in the set from the middle
position.
Olivia Smith led Mount Pulaski with 12 kills and she also had 11
digs.
Ella Martin had 6 kills and 13 digs.
Audrey Cooper hit the floor for 13 digs.
Elayna Marten contributed 4 kills.
Alyson Murphy had 18 assists to keep the game rolling.
The Hilltoppers even their record at 3-3 on the season.
In the JV game, Athens won 25-4 and 25-22.
Mount Pulaski will have a busy day on Saturday with both the JV and
Varsity teams playing three games each in the Leroy tournament.
[Teena Lowery]
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