The Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks gave the Pine Bush Bushmen about as much as they could handle, handing them their first loss in a set since Sept. 13, as they won the third set.

The defending Section 9 champion Bushmen couldn’t put any distance between themselves and the Goldbacks, even as they won the first two sets, 25-18, 25-21, respectively.

And then the Goldbacks rallied to win the third set, 25-22, to force the fourth. It was the first time the Bushmen had lost a set since their 3-1 loss to the Warwick Wildcats on Sept. 13. They had won five straight matches, 3-0.

The Bushmen had their easiest set to end the night, taking the match with a 25-12 win in the fourth set.

The Bushmen opened the week with two non-league matches, posting wins over the Washingtonville Wizards on October 2 and Our Lady of Lourdes on Wednesday.

The Bushmen had two matches this week, a non-league contest with the Goshen Gladiators on October 10, before returning home to host the Middletown Middies on Wednesday.

They will finish their Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I schedule with matches next week against the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders and two contests against the Kingston Tigers.

They also will visit the Valley Central Vikings for a non-league contest.