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Moeller wins rubber match with Mt. Vernon to advance to seventh state final in eight years July 23, 2010 By Jim Jicha Unlike the first semifinal, the second featured opponents who knew each other very well. Archbishop Moeller had opened their season with a win over Mt. Vernon. The Yellow Jackets returned the favor when the teams met in a match for fifth place at the Centerville Elite. The Crusaders (18-6) won the rubber match, besting Mt. Vernon 25-18, 25-23, 27-25, and thus returned to its seventh state final in eight years, while Mt. Vernon closed out its season at 24-4. Moeller never trailed in game one, and led all the way after four ties to 5-5. After an exchange of errors, Honorable Mention All-State junior outside Tucker Skove landed the first spike, and Mt. Vernon junior outside Chris Omahan answered with a cross-court blast. Skove exchanged scoring blasts with Yellow Jacket 6’4” First Team All-State and All-Ohio and East Region Player of the Year setter/opposite Carter Cassell, for a another deadlock at three. Moeller jumped out 5-3 on a kill by junior outside Kyle Neuville and a long hit, but Mt. Vernon quickly retied on a slam from 6’3” Honorable Mention All-State senior Ben Bennett, who then teamed with senior outside Ben Miglin on a double block. But Moeller took advantage of a net serve and surged ahead 9-5. The last point featured a spectacular dig by libero A.J. Eckhoff, and a quickset from First Team All-State and South Player of the Year senior setter/right side Landen Hunter that junior middle/outside John Abeln hammered to the right. The Yellow Jackets scored twice as senior setter/opposite Chris Ingersol spiked from the right and Omahan from backcourt, and the teams traded two points apiece to 11-9. But Abeln sparked a five point run to 16-9 with a kill and two aces. Mt. Vernon narrowed the gap to 19-15, led by Ingersol and Bennett, but Moeller pulled away after another smash from Abeln. Junior middle Ben Vickers, at 6’4” the tallest player in Moeller’s lineup, eventually hammered the game winner down the left. Moeller never trailed in game two although there were four ties to 4-4 and two more at 16 and 17. And after Moeller roared away 24-18, a five-point Mt. Vernon rally made things interesting. Abeln led off the scoring with a spike to left corner and followed a long service with a blast down the middle. Moeller’s next serve was long as well, but Skove kept the Crusaders apace with a run-up kill in the middle. After a net serve, Vickers hammered a short set. Moeller’s next serve was in, but their cross-court spike sailed out leaving the score even at 4-4. But when Mt. Vernon obliged with a long serve, the Crusaders finally gained traction, as Neuville block killed and a serve from Eckhoff was dug into the net. After point trading, Moeller went up 12-7 on an ace from Abeln. Mt. Vernon came back to 12-10 as Miglin ended a long volley with a kill and Omahan blocked on the left. More point trading ensued as Neuville kept Moeller in charge with two pressure kills that ended intense volleys kept alive by Hunter and Eckhoff. With Moeller leading 16-13, Ingersol sparked a tying rally with a kill which Bennett followed with an ace. Neuville again scored under pressure, hammering a short set from Hunter, but Yellow Jacket senior middle Andre Nixon retied with a hole shot, ending an intense volley that left Cassell sprawled on the floor. Mt. Vernon’s next serve was wide, however, and Moeller again took advantage. Vickers scored with a solo block, the Crusaders outlasted the Yellow Jackets on a long volley of blocks and digs, and Skove tipped an overpass into a hole for a 21-17 lead. Mt. Vernon called timeout, and Cassell responded with a rally-ending kill down the line. Alas, the Yellow Jackets’ next serve slammed into the net and Skove took the Crusaders to game point with two spikes that ricocheted out off blocks. His second one ended a long volley that was trademark Moeller defense – Hunter and Eckhoff each fielded two right-at-you spikes and Zoller and Vickers rejected shots at the net, as Mt. Vernon gave them their all. A net serve afforded a reprieve, and Mt. Vernon took advantage as Bennett and Omahan pounded kills and teamed for a block. But a comeback was not in the cards and with the score 24-23, Hunter put up a short set which Vickers tipped into back middle for game point. Things really got interesting in game three as the teams battled through nine ties and four lead changes, and Moeller rallied from 21-24, and 24-25. “After game two our challenge was no less than when we walked out on the floor. This team was more than capable of beating us three consecutive games”, Moeller Coach Greg Ulland said after it was over. “We just focused on every moment and winning every point and every touch. And we just hoped we were on the top end of the score at the end, and we barely were”. The Crusaders scored the first two when Abeln followed a termination with an ace. Mt. Vernon tied at three on a cross-court shot by Ingersol, and took a 6-4 lead on kills from Omahan and Cassell. The Yellow Jackets kept the lead through point trading to 11-9. But Moeller tied at 11, again at 12 and 13, and then spurted in front 16-13 as Abeln and Hunter block tipped at the net and Neuville terminated from the left. Cassell rescued with two kills and a block sandwiched in between, and after Moeller went up 18-16, he scored with a straight-down tip and served two points as Bennett scored on a spike and a block Abeln retied at 19 with a short set smash but Ingersol answered with a cross-court shot, after a saving dive by Omahan that kept a block off the floor. Miglin followed with two kills. Trailing 22-19, Moeller called timeout A service error followed, and the teams traded errors on two intense volleys kept alive by great defense on both sides from notably, Hunter, Eckhoff, Omahan, and Yellow Jacket libero Roger Melick. Miglin blocked Skove on the left, and the Yellow Jackets were at game point. Mt. Vernon would get two free-ball opportunities on the next volley, but Crusader defenders thwarted both and Vickers finally ended an incredible battle with a tip into a hole. Neuville then skipped a spike off the net into a hole in right front. Mt. Vernon called timeout, but to no avail as Moeller tied on a double touch. On the next volley, Cassell dove to prevent another Crusader point, and Ingersol put the Yellow Jackets back in the lead. But a block by Neuville was dug over and out, ending another fiercely fought volley. Abeln put Moeller back on top with a frantic-volley ending block on the right, and when a Yellow Jacket hit slammed into the net the match anti-climatically. Match Notes: 1) Mount Vernon Coach Alan Cassell was named Ohio Coach of the Year this season. His son Carter was named Player of the Year. Carter will play for Lewis University next season. 2) Asked what Moeller talked about in the timeout at 19-22, Coach Ulland responded “Before that we’d just put three or four good swings on the ball and they had just made outstanding defensive plays. We had Carter Cassell in front and we wanted to get him out of front row. We didn’t end up doing that, but we tried to stick to what we were doing, play a team game and let the results take care of themselves. It’s a cliché but we don’t make over adjustments or over preparation. When the ball is on their side, we try to take away their strength. When we get the ball we try to distribute it with some intelligence”. 3) Both coaches talked about how frustrating it can be playing Moeller. Coach Ulland - “From my experience as a player, playing against a team like us is extremely frustrating. We dig a lot of balls, we block-touch a lot of balls so by the middle of the game we tend to frustrate teams, force them to do things they are not accustomed to doing. That’s how we get some moments late in the game when we win some easier points”. Coach Cassell – “I’m sure it is (frustrating). We had some pretty good rallies. They ended up winning most of those rallies because of their defense, their hustle. Greg always has his kids ready to do what it takes”. As for the loss, Cassell said they didn’t see a lot of change in Moeller from their previous match. “They tried to run a quick ball to the middle. We didn’t adjust our block as much as we wanted”. 4) Mt. Vernon will graduate seven seniors and all but one starter. “It’s going to be real tough without them”, said Coach Cassell. “They’re a special group, skilled at volleyball, great leaders…a special group of young men. We have a great group of sophomores and juniors coming up”
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