Down, 2-0, Mentor needed a change in momentum in its regular season finale against NDCL on Oct. 12. The Cardinals turned to their experience to try to avoid the sweep. Kayden McKinney and Melody Garrett carried the attack and pushed the match to the fifth set. That’s when Anna Cassidy set the tone with a huge block for the opening point. Mentor dominated the final set for the reverse sweep, and it enters the postseason on a high note. Through the first set, Mentor (16-6) led by as many as five points, but NDCL (15-7) rallied to take the opening frame. The Lions carried the wave of momentum from a five-set win over Lake Catholic on Oct. 10 into the first two frames that had Mentor on the ropes. But coach Sam Weaver knew her team had what it needed to rally. “We had to go trust the kids that have been here for so long,” Weaver said. “They needed to trust that Mel and Kayden, who had big first sets, were going to lead us the rest of the way. That’s what worked in set three and then in sets four and five, everyone was calmed down and able to contribute.” The Cardinals turned to the junior duo that time and again had come through for them in key points. McKinney and Garrett were intricate in the third set and forced a fourth as they combined for 12 kills in the frame. McKinney continued to be the go-to arm, having five kills or more in every set and finished with a team high 27 kills. “I think everyone in the program just wanted to win,” McKinney said. “We know a lot of the players over there, It’s always one of the bigger games of the season and with the support we have, it was a big deal for all of us. We were going to win even after those first two sets.” She finished with a double-double, adding 10 digs as well. Garrett was two digs short of having one as well to go with her 17 kills. But in the fourth and fifth sets, Garrett was needed more in the back row to help with the receive game. While McKinney handled that challenge, enter Cassidy. She’s been an intricate part of the Cardinals’ attack all season, helping fill the hole in the middle of the front row after Gwyneth Gil graduated. She recorded the first two points of the fifth set and finished with nine kills and five blocks. Mentor has allowed her to grow comfortable in her role and has been able to adjust with the strength of the hitters on the pins around her. “I definitely think we both have that drive to win,” Cassidy said. “Kayden pushes me and I push her. That helps a lot. If there’s no drive to win between us or celebrating after a kill, I don’t think it would be the same as it is now. It’s hard but if you have that want to win, it’ll come” McKinney added: “Anna’s knows her capabilities and is really good at what she does. We all push her to do her best and she’s really good at whatever is asked of her.” Riley Hoynes and Sophia Kiggins added aces at crucial moments as well. While NDCL started strong, the Lions started to have small errors. Miscommunication, free balls and errors gave free points to Mentor. Coach Tom Ray said after the big win over Lake Catholic, the Lions needed time to recover. But he also is aware the time will be minimal come the postseason. He said giving the young team challenges all through the season will have them ready. “We came off of the Lake Catholic five-set win, you’re always going to have a big letdown game after an emotional game after that,” Ray said. “We were sore and tight, flat at practice yesterday. The energy wasn’t there and that’s how we played.” Frankie Brkic led the way with 17 kills while McKenna Morrison added 12 and seven digs. Abby Tolin had 19 digs and Ava Hills had eight kills and blocks. NDCL begins its postseason trek at home against Garrett Morgan on Oct. 17. Mentor has an extended break with the smaller Division I brackets, as it’ll host Euclid on Oct. 22. The score Mentor 3, NDCL 2