With the Corvallis High volleyball team up a game and tied at 24 in the fourth game against Liberty on Wednesday night, the student section began chanting "Spartan Magic, Spartan Magic" during a time out.

There was a feeling amongst the CHS players and coach Amy Wright that the Spartans' 5A playoff match was about to end.

"Oh yeah," senior Molly McHenry said. "I had chills down my body. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, let's do it.' "

Added Wright: "I definitely thought we had Game 4, I totally did. We were all over it, we were the ones with the momentum and then the ball just fell the wrong way."

The Spartans had rallied from a 23-19 deficit and had deadlocked what could have been the deciding game at 24 before a Liberty time out.

The teams traded points, then Liberty had a ball hit just inside or on the back line to go up 26-25. The Spartans then hit long and just like that the match was tied at 2-2.

Liberty jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the fifth game and went on to win 15-5 to advance to face Cleveland on Saturday with the winner reaching the state tournament.

Game scores were 17-25, 25-21, 22-25, 27-25, 15-5.

"It was hard because it was in five games," McHenry said. "We tried and we played as a team."

The Spartans won the first game after taking an early lead, then fell behind to start the next four games.

They rallied to win the third game and nearly came back in the fourth after trailing 7-0.

"That's really hard to come back from," McHenry said. "Usually they say the first five points scored is that team's game. We came back and fought at the end."

Down 6-0 to start the fifth game, the Spartans got only as close at 7-3 before Liberty was able to put it away.

Megan Olayinka led the Spartans with 12 kills, while Niki Zalesky, who had three straight kills late in the fourth game, finished with 11. Alaina Adams added 10, McHenry eight and Alyssa Garrison seven.

The Spartans had four players with 17 or more digs - Allie Sanders (20), Garrison (18), McHenry (17) and Hannah Westly (17).

While the loss was tough, Wright said the Spartans grew as a team throughout the course of the season

"We achieved all of the goals we set out except for our dream goal which was to get to the tournament," she said. "But what the girls were saying in the locker room are the important things. They have grown as volleyball players and as people and they are a true team in every sense of the word."

Added McHenry: "We played so good and this team this year was so bonded and connected and that's what got us here."