Darlington rallies past Crestwood, snap skid with comeback win

One night after the sting of a lopsided loss to Aynor, the Darlington Lady Falcons answered in emphatic fashion Tuesday, storming back from an opening-set defeat to beat the Crestwood Knights 3-1 on Tuesday, October 13.

The Lady Falcons stumbled out of the gate, falling 25-23 in a tight first set. But Darlington regrouped and took control, claiming the next three frames by scores of 25-20, 26-24 and 25-20. The third set was the turning point, a nail-biter in which the Falcons held their nerve and edged out a two-point win to seize momentum for good.

Sophomore setter Caroline Caldwell was the engine behind the comeback, orchestrating the offense with 27 assists while adding nine digs. Carley Gainey gave the Lady Falcons a lift on both ends of the floor, collecting 11 digs and serving three aces.

The victory moves Darlington to 7-11-1 on the season and extends its recent run of improvement. The Lady Falcons are 3-2 since snapping a six-game losing streak, a stretch that suggests the team is finding its stride at the right time.

Crestwood, meanwhile, continues to search for answers. The Lady Knights have dropped 11 of their last 14 matches, leaving them at 5-14 overall.

Both teams are back in action Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Darlington hits the road to face Hartsville, whose Red Foxes will arrive riding a seven-match winning streak and gunning for number eight. The Lady Falcons, fresh off a statement win, won’t hand it over easily. Crestwood will stay home to host Lakewood, also at 7:00 p.m.