As quickly as a state tournament berth became within reach, it slipped away. The ADM Volleyball Tigers had a two-sets-to-one lead before the Lewis Central Titans rallied to win the final two sets and a state tournament berth in the Class 4a – Region 3 championship Tuesday night at Atlantic.

Lewis Central won the first, fourth and fifth sets, with scores of 25-16, 23-25, 19-25, 25-13, 15-6.

The Titans took the opening set despite ADM storming out of the gates. ADM had a quick 8-1 lead before Lewis Central made a run to tie things at 10. From there, Lewis Central mostly controlled en route to a 25-16 first-set victory.

It looked as though the Titans would take a commanding 2-0 lead in sets up 21-16 in the second, but ADM finished on a 9-4 run to win the set 25-23. The Tigers then picked things up in the third set where they left things off in the second. ADM enjoyed a five-or-more point lead most of the third set en route to at commanding 25-19 win and 2-1 sets lead.

Lewis Central then dominated in the fourth set, 25-13, setting up the winner-take-all fifth set. Unfortunately for ADM, the Tigers came out tight and made several errors. Lewis Central won the first eight points of the set before ADM got on the board, and dictated most of the points on their way to a 15-6, match-clinching win.

ADM did a good job of containing Lewis Central’s  star hitters and 6-footers, seniors Reghan Coyle and Abby Bergsten, in the second and third sets, but had no answer for the pair in sets four and five. The two seniors worked in concert with junior setter Kaci Hohenthaner, who came into the match sixth in Class 4A with 771 assists.

The loss marked the second straight year ADM’s season ended at a regional final, and it was a bitter way for ADM’s five seniors to finish their stellar careers. The Tigers and head coach Mary Beth Scott, who was choked up after the game talking about those seniors, will say goodbye to Abby Merschman, Kenzi Sutton, Marissa Felt, Maddie Mikkelson and Kari Dufoe.