Polk County Middle’s recent lineup changes may be trending the Wolverines in the right direction at the right time.

Polk Middle upset East Division rival Brevard Middle on Wednesday, the 2-0 win coming in its final regular-season home match of the season. The Wolverines posted a 25-18, 29-27 victory.

Polk Middle improved to 7-4 overall, 5-4 in Blue Ridge Conference East Division play. Brevard Middle fell to 8-3, 6-3.

Head coach Matthew Russell said the win came about from a team effort, with contributions from throughout the roster.

“The girls never wavered against a great opponent,” Russell said. “Our setters, Elysia Smith and Adair Edwards, did an awesome job tonight putting our hitters in good positions to get big swings and easy points, and our back row did a great job getting good balls up to our setters.

“Overall, it was a great performance out of our girls and it seems like they’re finally starting to buy into how good they can be. I’m so proud of these girls and for how hard they’ve worked. But we’re not done yet.”

Edwards’ serving, along with kills from Ada Kelley, Brianna Powell and Caroline Taylor, helped Polk Middle open a lead in the first set. McKenna Morris and Edwards registered two blocks against Brevard’s front line before serves from Sophia Overholt and Ella Waldman helped Polk wrap up the set.

The second set turned into a back-and-forth affair with several long rallies. Polk Middle fought off two match points, at 24-23 and 27-26, before pushing ahead and claiming the win. Russell also noted that in one of the longest and most intense rallies of the match, Smith set Edwards for five consecutive hits, with Brevard answering each shot but the last.

The Wolverines will close out their regular season Monday with an even sterner test, traveling to Rugby.

– Submitted by PolkSports.com