Although it left the hometown fans heartbroken, former Cleveland High head coach Patricia Flowers-Thwaits said she “couldn’t have written a better script” after her Siegel squad nipped the Lady Raiders in a five-set tiebreaker for a TSSAA State Volleyball Tournament berth, at Raider Arena Thursday evening.

“It was a great match between two great teams and to involved in it with my best friend (current CHS coach Amy McGowan, who was her assistant coach for eight years) on the other side of the net, and having another calling it up top (head referee Daniel Millsaps, who was an assistant for both with the Lady Raiders) is unbelievable,” she proclaimed.

“I even got to eat at Old Fort (Restaurant, which is owned by the McGowan family) for lunch. If I can do this ever again I want to do it with my best friend.”

After the 20th-ranked Stars turned a late four-point deficit into a 25-23 win the opening set, No. 24-ranked Cleveland took command with back-to-back 25-16 victories.

With its back against the wall, Siegel (23-17) took control throughout the fourth set to even the TSSAA Sectional match with a 25-17 win.

The District 5 and Region 3 champion Lady Raiders (23-19) bounced back for 6-2 and 8-4 leads early in the tiebreaker, but once again the girls from Murfreesboro rebounded to even the score at 10-all before running off five of the night’s final half dozen points for a 15-11 victory, earning their 15th state berth.

“Every single one of these players on both sides wanted it and played their hearts out —  that’s what made it such a great match,” proclaimed “Coach Flo.”

While Coach McGowan would have loved to take Cleveland to its seventh state tournament (the previous six all came under her and/or Coach Flowers’ direction), she was very pleased with her team’s effort.

“We’ve had a roller coaster season, but played really well down the stretch (having won the last eight straight, all but one by shutouts), and we gave it our all tonight in a great match,” she assessed.

“I hate to see it end, especially for seniors Gunny Brock and Maddie McKinney who have been great leaders for our program and had great success. We’re going to miss them.”

No. 26-ranked Bradley Central, the District 6 champ and Region 3 runner-up, also saw its strong season come to a close, getting swept by 15th-ranked Blackman.

The Bearettes (27-9) went toe-to-toe with the District 8 and Region 4 champ in an extra-play opening set before falling 26-24. The Blaze (22-6) turned up the heat in the next two sets, scorching the visitors 25-12, 25-14.

LADY STARS 3

LADY RAIDERS 2

After Siegel put three of the first four points on the scoreboard, Cleveland got the serve back on a Brock kill of a feed from junior setter Ava Franklin.

Franklin then stepped behind the back line and delivered a half dozen straight winners, including a trio of aces, for na 8-3 edge.

The Stars answered with a 5-0 run to even the score, but Brock delivered another power slam and tacked on a pair of service winners to put the hosts back up by three points.

Although the visitors were able to pull back within a point four times, Cleveland stretched it advantage to 18-14 with two more Franklin-to-Brock connection, the second of which came on a perfect set from loose ball Franklin saved while going into the CHS bench and put the ball right at the net for the power spike.

The seesaw action continued with Siegel breaking free on a 6-0 run to leap into the lead, before Cleveland knotted it at 20-all when junior libero Jordan Sheffield saved a deflection well past the backline to set Brock up at the net for another slam.

The traded the next half dozen points before the Stars salted the win away with tip from Mia McGrath, off a set from Camyrn Keckler, plus McGrath teamed up with Halle Chapman for a block on set point.

Cleveland never trailed in the next two sets, jumping out to 4-1 leads in both before steadily building the advantage throughout the rest of the games.

In the second set, the Lady Raiders put together a 7-0 run behind the serving of junior Payton Gianasio, including a “turkey” of aces. The streak also included back-to-back “dunks” by McKinney and sophomore Ariyah Huffman, who started the run with a kill.

Down by double digits (23-13 and 24-14), the Stars held off a couple of set points with a Chapman slam and a McGrath ace before they hit a spike attempt into the net to give the game to the hosts.

In the third set, the Lady Raiders stretched a 4-3 edge with a 7-2 streak with kils from Brock, McKinney, Huffman and sophomore GiGi Williams, plus a Franklin “dunk.”

After the Stars were able to trim a couple points off the deficit, Cleveland sealed the set with a 5-0 run behind Franklin’s serving, including an ace to make it 20-11.

Siegel wouldn’t go quietly, putting up a 5-3 spurt before McKinney and Williams hammered home the final two nails for a 2-1 game lead.

Keckler started the Star comeback with a half dozen service winners, including an ace, to open the fourth set and like Cleveland had done the previous two sets, Siegel steadily increased it advantage throughout the game.

Although the hosts capped the sat with an 8-6 run the damaged had already been done.

The Lady Raiders opened the tiebreaker with a Williams’ slam, but the visitors answered with back-to-back McGrath kills.

Getting the serve back on a Brock slam, Sheffield drilled an ace, Brock “stuffed” a shot, Franklin got a kill off a set by McKinney and a Star miscue put the host up four points.

After a net serve and an odd deep “over” fell in, Siegel was only down two, but Brock slammed home the 1,502nd and final kill of her prep career before Franklin drilled her fifth ace of the evening.

The Stars responded with a 4-0 spurt to even the score (8-all) before the teams traded the following four points.

The visitors took the lead for good with a “dunk” by Addyson Pate, plus an ace from Chapman.

Cleveland’s final point of the season came when Lees-McCrae commit McKinney took a saving feed from Brock and eased it “over” to just inside the back line.

Three straight kills by McGrath, giving her 20 on the night, gave Siegel the victory. She opened the match with back-to-back spikes to start the scoring, plus had seven in the tiebreaker.

Keckler dished out 28 assists in the contest.

Brock increased her state lead to 535 this fall with 28 kills, plus she blocked four shots.

McKinney notched 15 slams to give her 300 on the season, while Williams spiked a dozen and Huffman four.

Franklin handed out 54 assists, giving her 1,082 this season and 2,105 in her career, plus she had a trio of kills, including a pair of “dinks,” plus her five aces gives her 55 on the campaign.

— Additional Cleveland and Bradley stats will be added online when received.