TURNERS FALLS — After a slow start, the Turners Falls volleyball team found its rhythm early in the second set against Easthampton on Wednesday. 

The Thunder fell behind early in the opening set against the Eagles but battled back, with Madi Liimatainen catching fire late to help Turners go up with a 26-24 set win. 

Liimatainen carried that momentum over into the second set. The senior got the opening serve and proceeded to put down six aces, helping the Thunder build an 8-0 lead which ultimately led to a 25-7 set win. 

Turners took care of business in the third, winning 25-13 to walk away with a 3-0 independent sweep over Easthampton. 

“Madi had some really great serves to give us a good lead,” Thunder coach Kelly Liimatainen said. “We were passing the ball tonight. Like I said from day one, you can’t do anything without a pass. Tonight we happened to be passing well and things went our way.” 

After winning a Western Mass. Class D championship and making a run to the MIAA Div. 5 semifinals last fall, Turners (5-2) is bringing back a new look squad that is still finding its footing early in the season. 

With each match, Kelly Liimatainen said she’s seeing her team progress and improve, with the goal to get better each time out on the court. 

“We’re getting better each day,” Kelly Liimatainen said. “That’s the big things for us right now.” 

It was Easthampton (1-5) that opened up a 5-1 lead in the opening set behind kills from Camilla Corsello and Lidie Buttrick, but the Thunder clawed back in it to tie the score at 10. 

A pair of aces from Madisyn Dietz helped Turners take a 16-12 lead but Eagle Addison Sigda caught fire in the service station and put down a pair of aces that gave the visitors a 17-16 lead. 

Both teams traded points before Buttrick put down an ace that gave Easthampton a 23-21 lead. The Thunder fought back to tie it at 24 after Madi Liimatainen smashed a kill and Liimatainen proceeded to put down a pair of aces to close out the set and give Turners its 1-0 lead. 

“They came out really flat and dry tonight,” Kelly Liimatainen said of her squad. “I didn’t know what was going on. It was a totally different team than the one I saw against Greenfield on Tuesday. We’re trying to do what we can.” 

After Madi Liimatainen’s run to open the second set, the Thunder kept their foot on the gas to prevent the Eagles from getting back in it. Turners led 12-2, went up 18-4 and closed it out strong to take a 2-0 lead.

With its back against the wall, Easthampton turned it around early in the third set. Corsello made a block in front that helped the Eagles tie things at five and later, Brooke Skowron put down an ace that cut the Turners lead to 12-11. 

Once again it was Madi Liimatainen who got hot in the service station, putting down a trio of aces on a seven-point Thunder run to go ahead, 19-11. Dietz closed things out with a trio of aces late that sealed the win for Turners. 

Madi Liimatainen led the way with four kills and 10 aces while Dietz finished with five aces and eight assists. Tatianna Carr Williams tallied two kills, four aces and two blocks, Janelle Massey recorded two aces while Marilyn Abarua came up with three digs to go along with a block in the win.