APEX - When Cary senior Erin Harwood and Middle Creek junior Ashley Battle met at the volleyball net just prior to a fifth and deciding game between their two schools, each could have felt secure in the belief that their team deserved to win.

Cary had rallied from a two-game deficit to force the decisive game, so momentum was on their side.

However, Middle Creek had earned the first two games in thrilling fashion, and with Battle putting on a dominant performance, was poised to strike quickly in a game that needed just 15 points to win.

The Mustangs did just that, jumping out to a 9-4 advantage, but watched in amazement as the Imps finished with an 11-3 run to claim the match with a 15-12 victory on Tuesday.

Cary (6-2 overall, 1-2 Tri 9) closed it out behind the serving of Morgan Yarasheski with three straight points to break a 12-12 tie. Ashley Zdelar scored, then Yarasheski served an ace and finally Rachel Weisz delivered the game-winner to give the Imps their first Tri-Nine Conference win of the season.

“We came in too cocky today, our passes were off, and we didn’t start out right,” said Harwood, who led Cary with 24 kills. “We said, if we want to win game three then we have to fight for it. Then when we were down in the fifth, I told my team we just need to take things one point at a time.”

Battle, who led Middle Creek with 25 kills and 21 blocks, was so proud of her teammates for staying together and coming so close to pulling off the win.

“Tonight really showed that we have a team that can give it 100 percent,” said Battle, whose Mustangs fell to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in the conference. “We found our niche today and clicked together really well.”

Middle Creek won the first two games in thrilling fashion, 26-24 and then 29-27. Battle was responsible for the majority of finishes, but she had plenty of help from her teammates.

Sophomore Emily Schmid led the Mustangs with 27 digs, while the freshman trio of Katie McCullough (digs), Rachael Smith (kills) and Ellie Alfers (aces) also paced Middle Creek. Seniors Alayna Bolyard and Morgan Grant finished off the Imps in the second game, accounting for the Mustangs final four points.

“We are overall a young team, but they’re a great group,” said Middle Creek head coach Rosemarie Piccirillo. “The team chemistry is starting to gel, we’ll get it right, we just have to learn how to finish.”

Finishing was exactly the strong suit of Harwood, who saved her best for the latter parts of the final three games. In the third, with the score tied 17-17, Harwood scored six points, including three aces, to help secure the 25-21 win.

Harwood then scored Cary’s final five points of the fourth game (25-16) and during a key stretch of the final game she reeled off five of her team’s seven points to turn a 9-4 deficit deficit into an 11-10 lead.

Ultimately, what may have saved Cary was their senior leadership, which helped keep them poised in the face of possible defeat.

“In the end we knew it was just a matter of getting our serves in play and not making any key mistakes,” Harwood said.