The Purple Riders (11-5) took care of business on their home floor, beating the Pilots (11-7) in four sets, 25-22, 25-16, 22-25, 25-22. The win helped Martins Ferry in the OVAC 3A rankings, while setting back the 2A Pilots.

Gianna Chirpas was on fire Monday in a dominant 22-kill performance. Lindsey Best and Maddie Lucas also got double digit kills- Best with 14 to go with 11 digs and three aces, and Lucas with 11 to go with 17 digs.

Olivia Harkness tallied an impressive 51 assists, and libero SJ Koller racked up 26 digs. Nicole Hammerquist added seven kills.

“They beat us last time [on Sept. 5], so yes- it wasn’t the best business that I thought we were going to give today, but a win’s a win, I’ll take it,” Martins Ferry head coach Jaela Koller said.

Best also reached 1,000 digs Monday, the senior’s accomplishment allowing for a brief pause after the first set for her to be presented with a poster commemorating the milestone.

“I think it’s huge,” Koller said of Best’s 1,000 digs. “Especially with Martins Ferry volleyball, it’s not exactly the popular sport here- girls basketball is huge, softball is always at the top, OVAC winners. So for somebody to come and get 1,000 points, last year we had a setter reach 1,000 assists, now having someone to get 1,000 digs, that’s huge for our program.”

River was led in kills by Hallie Hammel, who finished with nine. Zoey Fox and Mallarie Maddy each had five.

Kaylee Hagan led the team in both assists (15) and digs (12). Hammel and Reese Hobbs each had two blocks. Hobbs and Fox each had 10 digs, while Fox and Maci Isaly each had five aces.

“I felt they struggled some tonight,” River head coach Judi Curtis said. “They’re tired. We’ve had a tough schedule, four games a week for three weeks in a row and it shows. It’s taking a toll on them.

“They sparked something in the third set, started the fourth a little better but they kind of fizzled again. We have a little bit to work on but I have faith in them. They’re a good team.”

River took an early 9-3 lead to start the game, helped by three aces in four sets by Zoey Fox. Martins Ferry turned up their aggression thereafter with authoritative kills by Chirpas and Best, and the Pilots lead had been trimmed to one, 16-15, when River called a timeout.

The stoppage didn’t stop Ferry’s momentum, with a Maddie Lucas kill putting Purple ahead 20-18, and a high-velocity Chirpas spike putting them up 23-20.

Best launched a set-clinching kill to win 25-22.

River had yet another early lead in set two, leading 6-5, but Martins Ferry took the lead for good in the set at 8-7 and beyond.

Chirpas tallied back-to-back kills, the second a blast off a River set which inadvertently traveled over the net, to put Ferry ahead 13-7.

The sophomore dominated the second set, but it was Maddie Lucas who finished it off with a kill. The 25-16 nine-point margin was the largest of the night.

River took an early lead once again in set three, and they would persevere past the finish line this time. A kill by Reese Hobbs put the Pilots up 15-11, but Martins Ferry battled back to a 15-15 tie after an ace by SJ Koller. The set was again tied 20-20 before kills by Hallie Hammel and Mallarie Maddy helped push the Pilots over the edge for a 25-22 set win.

The fourth set swung back and forth, defined more by which side was enduring a spree of errors than who was making plays. A Martins Ferry error put River ahead 6-5, and later a couple of Pilots errors put the Riders ahead 14-12. The game was tied 17-17 after a Martins Ferry error, and the home team called time. After the timeout, Gianna Chirpas posted a pair of kills in helping Ferry take a 23-21 lead, and a kill by Nicole Hammerquist made for match point, 24-22. After an incredibly long volley, Best came through with a game-clinching kill.