By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

CALERA – After a struggling start to the 2018 volleyball season with losses to local teams in Thompson and Shelby County, as well as others in tournament action, the Calera Eagles saw hard work pay off on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Taking on the McAdory Yellow Jackets in a home match, the Eagles were finally able to pick up a win, and in thrilling fashion. While each set was tightly contested with no victory coming by more than four points, Calera was able to not only win the match, but do so in straight sets.

While each set was tightly contested, it wasn’t unfamiliar territory for the Eagles, who have battled in close sets and matches several times on the young season.

That experience paid off this entire match, starting in the first set.

In a back-and-forth set, Calera and McAdory traded points throughout with neither team able to seize momentous runs at any point, but eventually the Eagles were able to claw out the set.

With the score 24-23 in the set, Calera had a chance at set point and didn’t let it go to waste, scoring that final point to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

While the Eagles had won the opening set, they saw that it was going to be a long and difficult battle the rest of the way.

The Yellow Jackets didn’t feel defeated at all after the first set despite the difficult loss and came back to challenge Calera again in the second set to another thriller.

Both teams fought throughout before eventually ending up in a 25-25 tie as match points had been staved off.

Calera, however, realized it had a chance in front of it to take a 2-0 lead in the match and locked in. Being forced to win by two, the Eagles reeled off two points in a row in clutch fashion to take the second set by a final of 27-25.

This is the first time in the match, you could sense a momentum shift with McAdory being slightly deflated after losing two heartbreaking sets in a row.

The Jackets still didn’t go away quietly, but Calera did eventually take advantage of that momentum swing and the 2-0 lead it had built by closing the match out with a 25-21 win in the final set to claim the victory.

For the Eagles, this is a momentum boost they can use moving forward. Sometimes it just takes seeing the hard work pay off with a win before a team realizes its full potential.

While Calera does compete in a difficult region with Chelsea, Helena and Pelham, growing confidence will make the Eagles a tough matchup for each of those teams.