Perry girls volleyball coach Fred Mann wasn't necessarily resigned to his team bowing to Hamilton with the Pumas in a deep hole in the fourth set of Wednesday night's 6A Premier Region match. The Pumas needed to deny at least five match points to survive.

Perry, down 2-1 in sets and trailing 24-19 in the fourth, was indeed in trouble. Mann reluctantly asked for a timeout. 

"I'd never called a timeout in my career down 24-19," Mann said. "I learned as a younger coach you don't wait to 24 to take time."

Whether or not that break in play was a turning point is up for debate, but Perry delivered the fourth set and claimed the match in five. Scores were 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, 27-25 and 15-13 before an entertained COVID-19 gathering at Hamilton High.

Hamilton (3-1) enjoyed the best of the action through nearly the first four sets. Perry (5-0) won the the second set to guarantee the match went four, but was handled in the third and looked about done in the fourth.

Hamilton's first of six match-points in the fourth set came out of the timeout with Huskies' standout junior hitter Jordan Middleton serving for the match. Middleton, who led all players on the attack with 27 kills, served into the net. A Hamilton hitting error plus a Rud kill and two aces from Perry's Layla Handley forged a 24-24 tie. Handley commited a service error giving Hamilton its next match-point chance. Perry's Maddie Mayginnis and Avery Burks added kills giving the Pumas their first match-point attempt. A Hamilton hitting error brought on a fifth set.

Perry used its seniors to advantage in the final set getting a pair of kills each from outside hitters Ella Rudd and Alyssa Montoya and setter Jenna Heller. The Pumas jumped to three-point leads (7-4 and 8-5) only to see Hamilton edge in front 11-9 on one of Middleton's final two kills of the evening. The final tie of the set was at 12. Perry finished with a Mayginnis kill and two from Rud, including the match clincher.

                                                                                         Hamilton's Jordan Middleton delivers a rocket in the early stages of the match with Perry. (AzPreps365 photo)

"Perry handled the pressure better late than we did," Hamilton coach Sharon Vanis said. "They have a lot of seniors in their lineup. Their experience showed."

Perry, which didn't lose a set in its first four matches, had three hitters with double-digit kills -- Rud (16), Montoya (11) and sophomore Burks (10). Heller collected 45 assists and Mann gave a huge shoutout to junior libero Jordan Suan (34 digs). Senior middles Makayla Long (5 blocks) and Mayginnis (3 blocks) had their moments.

Along with her 27 kills, MIddleton checked in with 17 digs one back of the 18 from libero Tatum Thomas. Hamilton also had two more hitters in double figures in kills - Jahara Campbell (18) and Micah Gryniewicz (13). Setter Diana Ethridge handed out 57 assists.

Perry plays again Thursday hosting region-rival Chandler. That will complete the Pumas' first round of region matchups with Basha, Xavier, Hamilton, Chandler. The Pumas will be off until after fall break after that. Hamilton visits Xavier on Thursday.