VINTON — The Vinton Lions continue to grow as they beat LaGrange Tuesday evening in four sets for their fourth win in five matches.

“Overall tonight, I think it showed how much growth we’ve had from the beginning of the season to now because they had previously beaten us twice,” Vinton head coach Bridget Coppels said. “So to come back here today and really take this in four just says a lot about how much better we have gotten since the start of the season.”

Vinton won 25-20, 25-17, 18-25, 27-25 to improve to 8-6 after starting the high school volleyball season 1-4.

“Our volleyball IQ has increased,” Coppels said. “So when things get weird we do a better job of putting the ball to the pins where it needs to go.

“Just overall hitting has gotten a lot better. We are finding ways to score whether it is through big, strong attacks, tipping or putting the ball where it needs to be to score the point.”

The Lions were led by the front line trio of senior Addyson Orillion (11 kills), junior Madison Jones (11 kills) and sophomore Dru Coleman (12 kills).

“If you would have seen those three at the beginning of the season, you would just be so proud of how far they have come and how far they are going to continue to grow,” Coppels said. “They are taking big approaches, swinging fast, taking big, hard swings.

“We can do a little bit better of where we want to swing the ball, but overall we are just so happy with how far they have come.”

LaGrange (9-4) won five of its last six matches heading into the nondistrict match with the Lions, and swept them at the Westlake tournament on Aug. 31. The Gators fell behind 7-0 in the third set but battled back and got within 16-15 on a trio of aces by Marleigh Alexis. Back-to-back aces from Cierra Amos gave LaGrange an 18-17 lead it would not give up. LaGrange finished the third set on a 9-1 run.

The fourth set was a battle to the end. Vinton led by as many as eight points before the Gators came back to take an 18-17. Coleman had three kills down the stretch to help the Lions seal the win.

“This is our second night in a row that we have gone into high digits past 25,” Coppels said. “We have stayed clean and found ways to win. Last night, we went 29-27 with LCCP.

“Both of those sets we have come out with a win, and that just says that we stay strong no matter what. We find a way to win at the end.”

Vinton broke a 20-20 tie late in the first set on two kills by Orillion.

Vinton’s Lauren Heinen closed out the second set with two aces.

Dakhia Alfred led LaGrange with six kills and Cierra Amos added five kills and two aces.