YORK — It wasn’t a playoff victory, and it wasn’t a championship. But for the York volleyball team, it sure felt like one.
Evie Martin delivered 20 kills and 13 digs, Jillian Holland added 15 of both, and the Wildcats pulled off a late-season stunner by taking down undefeated Washington Academy, 3-1, ending the Raiders’ 30-match winning streak.
York dropped the first set 25-20 and trailed by six points midway through the second, but rallied to win 26-24, 25-20, and 29-27 to complete the upset.
“We feel amazing,” Martin said. “After losing in states to them last year, we came into this game just wanting to win. I’m just so glad we executed.”
Washington Academy (13-1), which beat York 3-1 in the Class B final last season, entered the match as the unanimous No. 1 in the Varsity Maine poll, having won all 39 sets it had played this season. On Thursday, however, the Wildcats (12-1), the second-ranked team in the poll, figured the Raiders out.
“This one was circled on our schedule from the beginning of the season,” coach Kevin Hill said. “All year, we’ve focused on what was in front of us. And then Wednesday at practice, we finally came to the realization, ‘Look what’s next.’”
### Key Moments
– After Washington took the first set, the Raiders built a 14-8 lead in the second. York chipped away, worked the score to a 24-24 tie, and then Anna Fletcher and Jillian Holland netted kills to finish the comeback.
– Martin had a hard kill to tie the third set at 6, followed by two aces from her and a kill from Holland to build a 10-6 lead. Washington fought back to a 17-17 tie, but Maya Babcock had back-to-back aces and Holland had another kill to put York ahead to stay.
– Washington again led 14-8 in the fourth set, and York again responded. The Wildcats surged back to take a 25-24 lead, and after the Raiders denied three match points, a return that landed just wide ended their undefeated season.
### Sophomore Star
With York needing a spark in the second set, Martin delivered. The sophomore outside hitter took over, smashing hard spikes that found the few open areas in the tight Washington defense. She had six kills and two aces in the third set, then added nine kills in the clinching fourth.
“She is absolutely dominant on the offensive and defensive end,” Hill said. “Once Evie gets into that killer instinct, it’s hard to stop her.”
### Individual Statistics
**Washington Academy:**
– Kellan Schwinn: 24 kills, 13 digs
– Aubrey Faulkingham: 22 kills, 16 digs
– Lily Hennessey: 47 assists
**York:**
– Evie Martin: 20 kills, 13 digs
– Jillian Holland: 15 kills, 15 digs
– Bella Parrotta: 46 assists, 12 digs
### Notable Quotes
– “We just knew that we had to stay aggressive, and we had to make sure they couldn’t read what we were doing. We had to compose ourselves and make sure everyone was on the same page.” — Jillian Holland, on rallying from the early deficit.
– “It has been both our greatest improvement this year and our greatest strength. Trusting each other, that’s the biggest thing, is trust. Everybody’s got to believe that they’re a playmaker.” — Kevin Hill, on mental toughness.
– “A game like this helps a ton. It helps to be tested, it helps to be pushed, it helps to be driven by your competition. This has been fantastic for us. It was a good experience, we learned a lot, and we are going to grow from this.” — Washington Academy coach Corey Schwinn.
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/10/16/york-volleyball-stuns-undefeated-washington-academy/