The girls varsity volleyball team came away with a nail-biting victory in the round of 16. They ultimately beat the Attleboro Blue Bombardiers 3-2 on Monday, Nov. 3, in the Schluntz Gymnasium.

The Warriors entered the game with intensity and grit, winning the first few points with help from junior Molly Tipton, throwing down several spikes in the opening set.

Despite a fast start to the first set, the Bombardiers quickly came back with a few points of their own, a preview of the back-and-forth action to come. After many more spikes from seniors and captains Emilie Ferdinand and Bella Bacon, the Warriors won the first set 25-18.

Tipton said the team’s chemistry in the beginning sets allowed them to prevail.

“We felt really good, both the first and second sets we were really on fire, and then the third set, I think we still had that level of momentum, just they really stepped it up,” Tipton said.

After winning the first two sets, the Warriors began to falter. The Bombardiers made adjustments to their roster and came out of the third set with big momentum. Bacon said the team got a little overconfident and underestimated what type of team the Bombardiers were.

“Honestly, we got a little too cocky and it went downhill, and our mentality went with it,” Bacon said.

Despite underestimating the Bombardiers, Brookline was able to pull through and win the fifth set 15-11.

“That fifth set really represents us. The first two sets are what I would love to see from the team and just in general, but that fifth set really brought out what Brookline volleyball is,” Bacon said. “There’s three seniors and three juniors out there, so just to come together and be a team is something really important to me.”

The girls will move on to the elite eight and will face the Newton South Lions on Nov. 7. Head coach Caitlin Sobolewski said she expects the team to keep improving as they move farther in the tournament bracket and, hopefully, on to the state finals.

“I’m just gonna expect them to keep rising up. A parent came over to me and said, ‘That’s the best energy I’ve seen collectively from the team,’” Sobolewski said. “I think that they’ll level up in the next game that they play.”