Milford Mill Academy vs Overlea High School

During last year’s North I regional quarterfinals, the Overlea Falcons took down the Milford Mill Millers in a two-set victory. In just their third game of the 2025 season, the two teams matched up again at Overlea High School on September 11. This match was the Millers’ first on the road, coming after two strong wins at home against Chesapeake (BC) and Loch Raven. The Falcons also played Chesapeake at home just a couple of days prior, winning three sets to zero. The game started strong for both sides, with the first set being a back-and-forth affair the whole way through, resulting in a tie at twenty-three points. Nearing the end of the set, Hailee Fields was set to serve. Overlea returned her first serve, but Hailey Jones sent it back over the net, narrowly missing the kill, but giving the Millers a one-point lead. Fields’s next serve was not returned, and Milford Mill captured the first set. The Millers then followed up that performance with a strong second set. Leading by just one point and nearing the end, Amariah Simon returned a serve in the perfect location where it could not be tipped back or dug out, giving Hailey Jones an opportunity to bring the set home for Milford Mill. Leading 22-20, she delivered three serves. Out of those three, just one was returned, which resulted in a kill from Amariah Simon. The Millers took the second set with a final score of 25-20. On their last leg, Overlea kicked into another gear, going into the third set. Their largest deficit in the set was a six-point deficit, which happened three separate times. The Falcons came out hot, leading 10-4, then 14-8. Milford Mill took the deficit as a wake-up call, battling back to being down 14-13. After a few even points, Overlea turned its game to another level. The team finished the set going 8-2 to give them their first set victory of the day, winning 25-19. Milford Mill’s head coach, Nicole Reed, explained that part of the reason for the rough set was libero Emily Dinh missing several points as an injury was being treated. Despite losing the set, Coach Reed was proud of how the “entire team played together and never got flustered, despite the closeness of every set and our set three loss.” The fourth set started strong for Overlea, as they had an early 6-0 lead. In response, Hailey Jones went to serve for Milford Mill. She delivered eight serves, including three aces and two more close calls, prompting Overlea head coach Ashleigh Newkirk to call a timeout. The move by Newkirk worked, as her team brought the game back into their favor, 9-8. Later in the set, the score was knotted up at nineteen. After a bit more back and forth, Hailey Jones delivered her team-leading eighth ace of the game. The fourth set finished with Milford Mill winning 25-21, and the whole match 3-1. Coach Reed appreciated Hailey Jones’s clutch game-winning moment, explaining that it was a clear display of the leadership that exists on her team. Milford Mill remains undefeated with the win, and they will look to continue the streak in their game on Tuesday in Parkville. Overlea will look to reset in their match at Loch Raven on Tuesday, as they will work to form their identity early in the season.