SCARBOROUGH — In what could be a Class A matchup deep in the playoffs later this month, the Scarborough and Biddeford volleyball teams put on a postseason-caliber display Thursday night at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in games but the Red Storm turned up the defensive pressure and cut down on unforced errors to capture a 3-2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-21, 15-10) victory.

“It’s nice to beat the team we’ve been flip-flopping with in the Heal points,” said Scarborough Coach Kim Stoddard, “but more it shows our heart in that we can come back even if we are down 2-0. If we can beat Biddeford – as good a team as we’ll face – we can take it from anyone.”

Scarborough (11-2) and Biddeford (9-4) remain in third and fourth place, respectively, in the Heal point standings in the final week. The Red Storm beat Biddeford in last year’s playoffs en route to the state championship.

Tigers Coach Ruth Shaw said she was surprised how the game played out and will use it as a learning lesson.

“I was kind of of surprised being up 2-0 because I know Scarborough is tough and very scrappy,” she said. “I think we caught them off guard a little bit.

“I told (our team) after the match that they’ve got to learn from this. Just because you win two doesn’t mean the next one is going to be easy. This team has come a long way this year but this is a great lesson before we enter the playoffs.”

One key to the turnaround was Shaelyn Thornton picking the right time to find her serve again for Scarborough.

She stepped up with a hard sinking serve in the third game, when her three straight aces stretched the lead to 15-6. She served out the game with another ace in the last three service points.

“We knew we had to come back in the third set. We weren’t leaving this gym without getting at least one game off them,” said Mayne Gwyer, who had 19 assists, four kills and a block. “After we got that one, that built up our momentum.”

Thornton added two points in the fourth – an ace and a rocket that wasn’t returned – to make it 11-11. It was the first tie after the Red Storm trailed by four points early. An ace by Meredith Winslow and a Catherine Shaw kill forced a fifth game.

Thornton then got the serve trailing 8-7 and recorded the next seven points, including two aces. Gwen Dorsey’s kill from a Gwyer assist capped the comeback.

“Shaelyn’s serve was key for us,” Stoddard said. “She’s been having a little struggle with it the last few matches where I actually put someone in (to serve) for her. But I always give her a chance because her serve is such a weapon.”

Thornton finished with 12 kills to lead the Red Storm. Dorsey added six and Shaw had five. Reserve Isabella Dickinson recorded five assists.

“This really was a team effort,” Stoddard said. “I have the depth that if someone is not on, then someone else will step up and help them out until they can get their rhythm back.”

Grace Martin of Biddeford had nine of her game-high 18 kills and Brooke Reissfelder added 12 of her 21 assists in the first two games.

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