The Nashua North girls celebrate their big win over Nashua South in the Battle of the Bridge Wednesday night at the Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The system that Nashua High School North girls volleyball coach Cassandra Desfosses preaches about to her team worked.

And at the best possible time – the Battle of the Bridge.

“We talk about it like a system, they’re each a gear in the system,” Desfosses said after the Titans rallied to win the fourth and fifth sets for a 3-2 win over archrival Nashua South Wednesday night at the Belanger Gym. “If each gear doesn’t start, it doesn’t work out. But the system worked out, though. That’s what it’s about.”

As a result, the Titans improved to 5-4 while the Panthers, who won six of their first seven matches, fell to 6-2 in Division I.

South had North reeling after the third set, as they led 2-1. Their wins were fairly decisive, 25-14 and 25-18, sandwiched around a North 25-19 win in set two. But the Titans dominated the match thereafter, winning 25-19 again and then grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth set and never gave it back, winning going away, 15-8.

“It’s a game of momentum, and every set is a fresh start,” South coach Tom Langer said. “And unfortunately they came out with that momentum, and we had to keep fighting back every time, and that turned into us scrambling.”

That wasn’t what many thought would happen, as South arguably had the court’s best player in outside hitter Mia Suljic and Molly Lecklider, who got her 500th career dig during the match.

But the Titans had, well, more gears. The one that operated perhaps the best with several blocks at the net was junior Hayley Maurhoff, who said that was the best she’s played.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” she said. “We all arrived together. The team really came back, we worked together, it was great.”

“She was great, I give her a lot of credit,” Langer said. “We tried to adjust for her, and still didn’t have it.”

Desfosses credited Johanna Desfosses with leading the way on the floor, while Taylor Joyal led North in kills, although Amaya Gordon was a key in the critical fourth set during which the Titans stormed out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back.

Nashua North’s Hayley Maurhoff (10) goes up for the block of a hit by Nashua South’s Hannah Perez during Wednesday night’s Battle of the Bridge match at South’s Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Nashua North’s Hayley Maurhoff (10) goes up for the block of a hit by Nashua South’s Hannah Perez during Wednesday night’s Battle of the Bridge match at South’s Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Down 8-4 in the fifth set, South rallied to within 8-7 but Joyal and Maurhoff got kills up front to ignite a match ending 7-1 run.

“I think what the team really showed was they have no quit, and I love it,” Cassandra Desfosses said. “I think it was their attitude, believing that we can do more. … They all just kind of did their part.

Suljic had 21 kills and seven digs while Lecklider had 10 kills and 22 digs. Yvette Byron added three digs and three aces.

Langer knew this was just what can happen in the Battle of the Bridge.

“It’s that North-South mentality part,” Langer said. “Expect the unexpected.”

That’s what happens when the Titan gears all start.

Nashua North girls volleyball coach Cassandra Desfosses hugs her Titan daughter Johanna after North beat South 3-2 in the Battle of the Bridge on Wednesday night at the Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Nashua North girls volleyball coach Cassandra Desfosses hugs her Titan daughter Johanna after North beat South 3-2 in the Battle of the Bridge on Wednesday night at the Belanger Gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)