In what might be the game of the year so far across the area, Niceville won 3-2 (26-24, 19-25, 25-19, 27-29, 15-9) at Choctaw on Thursday to make a statement and prove that, as of now, the Lady Eagles could be considered the area’s best team.

“Choctaw played great. It was fun to watch. They did well,” Niceville head coach Karson Jessup said.

After an Anna Sutter block opened the match’s scoring, Niceville managed to go up by five points thanks to strong play from Riley Skowronski and Sutter. Callie Cotton answered with a kill for Choctaw, but Katherine Newkirk responded with one of her own as Niceville pushed its lead to 11-7.

The Lady Indians inched closer on a Kate Jannazo hit out of bounds and an Annabelle Bexley block to make it 11-9, but the Lady Eagles responded with two kills. Choctaw then rattled off three straight kills to tie it at 13 before a kill from Sutter put Niceville back ahead at 14, and a Jannazo kill extended the lead to two.

The rest of the set was tightly contested, but Skowronski’s strong play kept Niceville ahead. Toward the end of the set, though, a Khloe Brockett block sparked a big Choctaw run, and the Lady Indians got within one point of taking it.

But some Choctaw errors, combined with Carnley Summerlin running the floor well for Niceville, helped the Lady Eagles storm back and take Set 1.

“Teamwork was much better in that set than any other one,” Summerlin said.

“I think Carnley was amazing with her setting and her hitting. She just always puts it in the perfect spot,” Skowronski added.

Set 2 opened on a 5-1 Choctaw run, with Bradleigh Covington and Tishelle Bowles quickly taking over. Niceville managed to stop the bleeding with another kill from Newkirk, but the Lady Indians remained firmly in control. The Lady Eagles soon rallied to tie it at eight, but Choctaw regained the lead after an Aprille Trotter serve sailed out of bounds.

After that, the two teams traded points once again. A kill from Mikah Bandy put Choctaw up 11-9, sparking a 3-1 Lady Indians run. From there, Choctaw took control of the set and never let go. Niceville never led again as the Lady Indians took Set 2, 25-19.

Set 3 began as a back-and-forth affair, with both teams exchanging the lead. Choctaw, thanks to its front line of Janiya Brown, Brockett and Cotton, managed to take control early, though Niceville clawed back to keep the set dead even.

The Lady Eagles seized momentum when Skowronski delivered a clutch kill to finish off a long rally, putting Niceville up 16-14. A kill from Summerlin pushed the lead to 19-17, and Niceville finished the set from there, taking it 25-19 to build a 2-1 lead.

After Set 4 began tight, Niceville capitalized quickly, turning a 5-5 tie into a 7-1 run. Choctaw answered with a 3-0 run of its own, but Niceville still looked in control and on its way to victory.

Then Choctaw stormed back. A Brown block sparked a Lady Indians rally, but Niceville managed to retain the lead off a kill from Sutter. The game was tied again as both teams alternated points, and the set stretched past 25 with neither side giving an inch. Eventually, the Lady Indians earned two straight points with the score knotted at 27 to take the set and force a fifth.

But there was never a doubt for Niceville.

Heading into the fifth set, Choctaw struck first on a Bexley ace, and Niceville responded with a Skowronski kill. Choctaw then managed three straight points to go up 4-1, but a kill from Claire Ivey stopped the bleeding. From there, Niceville clawed its way back to tie it at six.

Both teams traded points until the score was knotted at nine. Then the Lady Eagles took over, reeling off six straight points to close the match, with a kill from Jannazo serving as the final dagger.

“We played gritty. We figured out how to get it done, even if it wasn’t our prettiest, but everybody came together and did their job,” Jessup said.

“It was just play our game and do what we’ve been working on and play disciplined and not sloppy, since that’s what lost us our other sets,” Skowronski added.

“Choctaw’s Choctaw,” Summerlin said. We didn’t want to lose against Choctaw.”

Niceville (11-3) hosts South Walton on Tuesday.
Choctaw (5-3) opens its Tribe Invitational by hosting Community Christian on Saturday.