VVS went ahead 4-0 to open Game 1 behind two kills from captain Justin Smith and a nice tip over the net by Matt Sayles.
James Westfall, 6-5, took control and led his teammates on a 16-5 run. Westfall added four kills, a block and a ace during the offensive spurt.
A time-out by VVS did not slow the Titan's momentum as Westfall added another nice kill and the Red Devils faulted on a passing error to give Taconic Hills a 21-11 lead.
VVS' Jordan Johnson, sporting a mohawk, blocked a kill attempt by Brian Banks and the Red Devils went on a 7-1 run of their own before the Titan's Matt Jalanti ended the game with a block.
"We swarmed the net," said Titans coach Alan Eggleston. "We got our sets up and attacked the net."
"After that first game I told my guys we need to tune up our game," said VVS coach Jim Burton. "We needed to pick up our defensive game and recapture control of the net."
VVS came out in Game 2 with what appeared to be a different attitude, one of momentum and emotion.
"We were not emotionally into the first game," said Johnson.
Sayles began a 12-4 run with a tip over the net and Johnson added two kills and a nice block of Banks.
Taconic Hills signaled for a time-out to cool off the Red Devils but it only added fuel to the fire.
Sayles teamed with Smith and Johnson to combine for an 8-4 run. Johnson had consecutive blocks and Smith added two kills. Mike Blair served 6-6.
VVS' run came to an end with Westfall slamming down a free ball.
Johnson returned the point on a kill and Smith aced to end the game, 25-12.
"The first game we lacked motivation," said Smith. "In Game 2 we came out strong and played our team defense."
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The Red Devil's Game 2 momentum carried over into Game 3, jumping out to a 9-3 lead. Smith had a nice tip over the net that landed just inside the line. The Titans just starred as the ball landed safely to the ground.
With VVS ahead 15-9, Smith and Johnson once again led a run of 10-2 to pull within one win of claiming the Regional Championship. Smith aced following a Johnson block and Mark Dixon added two kills. Johnson blocked Banks to end Game 3.
VVS was rolling into Game 4 but Taconic Hills showed flashes of their Game 1 form.
VVS' Todd Brown opened the game up with an ace but a hit out of play by Smith gave the ball back to the Titans. Taconic Hills broke out of their slump to take a 10-4 lead. Westfall once again utilized his height by adding four kills and Banks had two kills and two blocks.
VVS called a time-out to discuss and attempt to slow down the Titans. The Red Devil's added their own offensive attack with a 8-2 run behind a Titan's serving error and a kills from Smith and Dixon.
With the score tied at 12, it was once again Westfall taking control. The senior added three consecutive kills and a beautiful, unreachable tip over the net that a diving Ryan Matt did not handle.
VVS once again signaled for a time-out trailing 19-14, possibly heading into a Game 5.
A serving error on Taconic Hill's Justin Taylor changed the tides for the contest. Johnson quickly added a block, trailing 19-16. The Titan's earned a point on a kill by Banks but the ball went right back to the Red Devils after Smith, literally hanging above the net, rocketed a kill past the Titan's defense.
The ball went back to VVS and into the hands of a serving Johnson, trailing 22-19.
The senior went on a 4-1 run before Westfall added a kill.
Smith followed with a kill of his own to tie the game at 23.
Brown aced and on the next possession Smith set Johnson for a kill attempt. The Titan's Anthony Crawley was able to get to the shot and get the ball into the air for Westfall. The senior took a bad angle on the ball and crushed the ball into the scores table to end the game and give the Red Devils a celebration.
"I am so excited how we came together," said Johnson. "We came out a little flat in the first game, then we went on that run to win it."
Smith led VVS with 11 assists, 14 kills, two blocks, two aces and three digs. Johnson had nine blocks and six kills.
Westfall led the Titans with 19 kills, five assists, seven blocks, two digs and an ace. Taylor had 16 assists and a dig.
"Johnson was definitely the emotional leader today," said Burton. he would rather block than anything and that gets everyone going because he's excited."
Taconic Hills (17-4): James Westfall 7b, 19k, 5as, 2d, 1ac; Brian Banks 10k, 3b, 2as; Justin Taylor 16as, 1d; Anthony Crawley 3b, 2as, 2d; Matt Jalanti 9b, 3k.
VVS (18-3): Mike Blair 18d; Todd Brown 1ac, 22as; Mark Dixon 9k, 3b; Jordan Johnson 6k, 9b; Ryan Matt 4k, 10d; Matt Sayles 8k, 1b; Justin Smith 2ac, 11as, 14k, 2b, 3d; Shane Sullivan 1k, 8d.
