Rush hits 18th birthday in a big way for Hall

SPRING VALLEY — Hall senior outside hitter Kendall Rush celebrated her 18th birthday with 18 kills, nine service points and six blocks to help the Hall Lady Devil volleyball team come back from a one-game deficit to defeat the Mendota Spikers Thursday night at Red Devil Gymnasium.

While Rush led all hitters in kills during the 23-25, 25-19, 27-25 Hall victory, two key Game 3 point winners from Lady Devil setter Erin Polte provided Hall’s 19th and 21st points of the deciding game, as the home team held off the band of young Spikers (16-8, 2-2).

“This was a character builder,” Hall coach Demi Salazar said. “They were serving to Kendall — Princeton did the same thing (to limit her offensively).”

Even while Mendota tried to negate Rush, other Lady Devils stepped to the forefront. Hall’s Mickey Victor downed nine kills during the three-game match, and freshman Kellie Nett provided a pair of point winners in the deciding game.

Defensively, Rush collected six blocks, and Carly Prokup added four. Along with her late-match push shot winners, Polte also added 34 assists to Hall’s offensive numbers.

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