RALEIGH - Holly Springs coach Jennifer Ivanoff knew the timeout was coming. Her Golden Hawks volleyball team pushed Wakefield around for an eight-point lead in the second game, something uncommon for the Wolverines this season.

But Ivanoff's Golden Hawks couldn't withstand a Wolverines rally. Holly Springs (12-7) played with valiant enthusiasm as Wakefield (23-2) eventually closed the gap to win the second game by two points.

From there, Wakefield went on to sweep Holly Springs 25-17, 28-26, 25-20 in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A playoffs.

"We had some energy going and I was impressed with how they were able to take that from us," Ivanoff said. "They really made us scramble to the point where we weren't able to get out of it."

Wakefield is known for making quick adjustments, and this match was no different.

During the Wolverines' timeout, coach Cynthia Terrell diagnosed her team's problem.

"I told them 'Let's get back to our passing game, and you'll be able to pull yourself out of this rut,' " Terrell said. "It all starts with a good pass."

Setter Kylie Sicking became the centerpiece of Wakefield's turnaround in the second game, as she rushed to the net for sets to teammates.

Soon the Wolverines trimmed the eight-point deficit.

Once Wakefield tied the score at 24 all, the Wolverines didn't allow a controversial call from the referee - which gave Holly Springs a chance to score the game-point - to stop their momentum.

"I think the first game is about getting warmed up, but the second game is a good indicator for us," Sicking said. "They were a better defensive team than some of the other teams we've played."

The Golden Hawks were able to get a lead by a strong performance from middle hitter Alessia Buttol.

"She's a foreign exchange student from Italy so we were very fortunate to have her," Ivanoff said. "She's very skilled and knows where to place the ball."

Though Buttol found success on offense, the Golden Hawks couldn't respond once Sicking started passing to outside hitter Lauren Saxby, the Wolverines most effective player at the net.

Saxby recorded the kill that gave the Wolverines the final point in the second game and continued to score points in the third.