For the Warrenton volleyball team, Tuesday’s Class 3 District 7 semifinal was more about how the Warriors started the match than how they finished.Despite forcing a third set, Warrenton could not ultimately overcome a sputtering start, losing (9-25, 25-13, 23-25).Coach Kristen Van Horn says the contrasting style of matches was indicative of how closely matched these two teams were this season, splitting their regular season contests.But after witnessing such a lopsided opening set, she wasn’t certain her team had come prepared for battle.“I was really concerned after that first set,” acknowledged Van Horn. “We got in that huddle at the end, and I said, ‘look, are you happy with how you played.’ They said knew they could play better than that, and they responded.”Trailing 5-4 early in the opening set, Winfield proceeded on a 7-1 run. Many of the points were a result of Warrenton’s own mistakes, which helped extend the margin.“A lot of times our girls were trying to do too much and force things, and I told them to just let the game come natural,” said Van Horn. “Once they stopped over-thinking, they started to excel.”Senior Maddy Sutherland says she knew the Warriors were capable of salvaging the match based on their previous meetings with Winfield.“I knew our teams would be evenly matched, so I figured that if they could beat us that badly, then we could beat them that badly too,” said Sutherland.Appearing to be an entirely different team in the second set, Warrenton exploded out to a 10-1 advantage and cruised to victory.“The girls had a lot better control in the second game,” said Van Horn. “They were finding holes and setting up the attack.”Sutherland says the resiliency on this team has been critical in the Warriors’ success, and that Warrenton was able to easily put that first set behind them.“I think the difference between this year’s team and last years is that we are a comeback team,” said Sutherland. “We look at every new set as a clean slate to do great things.”The third set presented an entirely unique scenario, as neither team led by more than three points the entire way.A troublesome start in the Warriors’ serving department allowed Winfield an early cushion.“I actually think what hurt us was the beginning, when we had those three missed serves,” lamented Van Horn. “Missing those early ended up hurting us in the end.”The Warriors battled back, though, tying the match at 19-19 and staying within two points the remainder of the way.“I couldn’t be happier with how they played,” said Van Horn.HARDT SERVESDerrick Forsythe Photo.