ONEONTA

Oneonta rallied to win the fifth game and pulled out a 3-2 victory over Horseheads on Tuesday in a Southern Tier Athletic Conference girls volleyball semifinal.

Horseheads led the final game 17-12 and 19-17 before Oneonta tied the score at 20-20. The Yellowjackets won five of the final six points to claim the game, 25-21, and the match.

“I think down the stretch it was probably a combination of us making some hitting errors and a few serve-receive errors that kind of turned the tide,” Horseheads coach Patti Perone said.

Oneonta won the first game, 25-21, and the third game, 25-16. Horseheads was a winner in the second game, 25-23, and fourth, 25-18.

“It’s a heartbreaker for us,” Perone said. “I thought we controlled most of the fifth game. Actually, the Oneonta coach made a comment to our JV coach before we left that his kids played out of their minds tonight.”

Oneonta (12-3) will play at Owego in the championship match Thursday. The Indians beat Vestal in five games Tuesday.

Horseheads (13-2) is off until it hosts either Union-Endicott or Vestal in the Section 4 Class A final next week.

“We’ll regroup and refocus our goals for sectionals,” Perone said. “I think they’re very disappointed. We had had our opportunities and our chances.”

Marlea Nolan led Horseheads with 15 kills. Logan Wieziolowski had 13 kills and seven blocks.

Brittney Herrick had 23 kills and five blocks for Oneonta.