Wylie East freshman Norah Hicks, pictured in previous action, and the Lady Raiders defeated Wylie in five sets on Tuesday, Oct. 8, to end the Lady Pirates’ 18-game win streak. Photo by Maddie Smith / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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There is now a tie atop the District 9-6A volleyball standings.

Wylie East avenged an earlier-season loss to Wylie on Tuesday, and did so in dramatic fashion, with a come-from-behind 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 20-25, 16-14 victory from Montgomery Center.

The loss ended an 18-game win streak for Wylie (27-7, 10-1) while catapulting Wylie East (27-7, 10-1) into a tie for first place in 9-6A with their crosstown rival.

The Lady Pirates, who suffered their first loss since Aug. 24, trailed two sets to one Tuesday, but they forced a deciding fifth set after senior Taylor Johnson pushed the ball into a vacant area in the Lady Raiders’ defense to end the fourth set.

Wylie carried over that momentum in the fifth set. The Lady Pirates led 6-3 after back-to-back service aces from senior Mallory Kendrick. But Wylie was unable to further distance itself from Wylie East. Senior Erika Hernandez had kills on two of the next three points to restore order for the Lady Raiders — part of a monster effort for Hernandez, who racked up 20 kills by the end of the third set.

Wylie later forced match point after sophomore Keelyn Green fired the ball for a kill and a 14-13 Lady Pirates lead.

However, Wylie East staved off match point with another kill from Hernandez and finished off the victory after Wylie misplayed the ball on the ensuing point.