AT THE NET — Harrison Central’s Lauren Doane goes up attempting to hit the ball past Big Red’s Analesa Perdue during Friday’s match. – Mike Hughes

CADIZ — Harrison utilized its senior-laden roster and big-swinging hitters to take a 25-14 lead after the first set in a mutual season opener Friday evening against Big Red.

But somewhere in the midst of set No. 2, the Huskies lost their way, in particular, their intensity level.

Serves weren’t being received properly, attacks weren’t getting set up in advantageous positions, and the unforced errors started to mount.

The result? Big Red captured the second set 25-10 and the momentum appeared to shift to the visitors.

First year head coach Grace Godich had seen this very problem during the preseason and preached to her girls the important of keeping an even-keel intensity level and her team responded.

Harrison cut down on the errors, played strong and started converting successful attacks as the home team gave Godich a cherished 25-14, 10-25, 25-23, 25-18 victory.

“I preach to the girls to keep that intensity high, and during that second set, that wasn’t our first time dropping like that,” Godich admitted. “During our scrimmages, we’d drop low but we always brought that intensity back, and they did that.

“We had some unforced errors on our part, but they came back and rallied and I’m proud of them.

Lauren Doane, who led the early charge for Harrison, helped the Huskies storm back with some impressive kills. The 5-foot-9 senior finished with 14 kills and when properly set up, there was little Big Red could do when Doane’s strong right arm swung downward with authority.

She wasn’t alone.

AnnMarie Corder and Maddy Zeroski each totaled eight kills while Kennedy Dunlap wasn’t far behidn with seven. They were set up nicely by the Gradys, junior Hannah and sophomore Leah, who assisted on 17 and 10 successful attacks, resepctively.

“We have some really good players,” Godich said. “Our setters are great, our hitters are great, but we just lost that momentum for a bit. That’s been our problem, but we got it back.

Big Red, conversely, overcame a somewhat slow start, and started setting up better attacking opportunities in the second set.

Junior Giuilana Cramer posted nine kills while seniors Analesa Perdue and Sena Smith struck home seven times apiece. Perdue in particular was able to hit cross court repeatedly with an impressive left-handed attack that Harrison had trouble receiving.

The two teams battled evenly in set three, playing to a tie at 23-all before a block attempt sailed out of bounds for Harrison’s 24th point, followed by an attack error for game point at 25-23.

Big Red started strong in the fourth set, jumping out to a 5-0 advantage, but Harrison again rallied and led by Doane and Dunlap, took the lead at 11-10 and never looked back.

Doane put a stamp on an impressive senior opener with match point, hitting off the block of Perdue to drive home the winning shot.

“We just couldn’t seem to get ourselves going, and when we did, it was too late,” noted Steubenville head coach Logan Colabella.

Big Red will look to get back on track Monday as they hit the road to face Carrollton.

Harrison, meanwhile, will try to go 2-0 on Monday as it plays host to Buckeye Local in the Panthers’ season opener.

Harrison Central d. Big Red 25-14, 10-25, 25-23, 25-18

H – Doane 14 kills; Corder 8 kills; Zeroski 8 kills; Dunlap 7 kills; Tonkovich 5 kills; H. Grady 17 assists; L. Grady 10 assists; Pelegreen 3 assists.

B – Smith 7 kills, 3 blocks, 5 pts; Cramer 9 kills, Perdue 7 kills; Lyons 9 kills; 3 blocks; Bigsby 2 kills; Biasi 11 digs.