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"Team effort" lifts lineup-shuffling Walsh Jesuit over Cloverleaf

October 4, 2008

By Jim Jicha

Walsh Jesuit started their Volley for the Cure contest with Cloverleaf High School on Wednesday minus two players, one of them a starter. But what began as minor tweaking turned into a major lineup reshuffle when 6’1” outside Allison Foschia, the Warriors’ leading hitter, became unable to play midway through the match. 

Still, the Warriors prevailed 25-14, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21 over the 14th ranked Division I team in the state, as other players filled the gaps, including outside hitter Ariel Pund and setter Annie Djukic who ratcheted up the intensity, and junior defensive specialist Cheryl Yu who provided timely kills in game four.

Coach Missy Sturm said afterward "That was a team victory" adding "I'm really, really proud of how everyone stepped up". 

Anything less than a team effort might not have sufficed against Cloverleaf, which burst onto the volleyball scene last year with a 22-2 record. When Coach Jim Vaughn arrived in 2003, the Colts had never experienced a winning season, and that continued until 2006 when they broke through at 14-10. In 2007 they captured their first ever Suburban league crown with a perfect 14-0 mark.

Cloverleaf brought a 16-1 mark into Wednesday’s match, their only blemish coming at the hands of Amherst Steele 13-25, 25-17, 26-24 at the GlenOak Invite. 

Looking at the start like the team that knocked off Bowling Green, Mentor and Toledo Notre Dame this past Saturday, Walsh Jesuit opened with leads of 3-0 and 6-1 as Foschia pounded three kills. And after Colts middle hitter Megan McCarthy intervened with a hard-to-get-to ball that was dug into the rafters, Foschia deftly tipped into a hole to her left and Djukic aced down the left line for a 9-2 lead. Soon after, outside Kalie Marshall spiked a cross-court point and defensive specialist Kara Schiffer aced to make it 13-4.

Cloverleaf was unable to get anything going and the Warriors coasted home with the 5’10” senior Pund ending a contested volley to make it 24-14. A long Colts’ spike ended the game.

Foschia started game two with another kill, and after a serving error, 6'1" junior middle Katie Meyer spiked and Djukic aced for a 4-1 lead. But the Colts tied on two kills by senior outside Kelsey Allen and an ace from outside hitter Andrea Meers. Senior Warrior outside Claire Lysaght put Walsh back on top with a kill, and the teams traded points. 

But after Colts 6'1" junior middle Laura McDermott dove to save a point, Allen pounded a kill and served two aces. McDermott then demolished an overpass of Allen's next serve to put Cloverleaf atop 9-6. 

Three errors by the Colts, however, resulted in another tie, and Pund blocked Walsh into a 10-9 lead. Cloverleaf junior outside hitter Corinne Early and Pund exchanged terminations and the teams traded errors. Strong jump serving by Pund kept the Colts out of system on two volleys, but her third serve was in the net and the Colts tied it up again on a tip by McCarthy and an ace from Early.  

The Warriors, however, took over as blocks by Foschia and Lysaght fueled a six point run. Djukic served while Foschia contributed a kill and another block. Cloverleaf junior middle Callie Lance blocked Foschia to break the streak and the Colts scored four straight, before Foschia and Meyer teamed up on a block, leaving Walsh on top 21-18. A couple of errors and a kill by Meyer put Walsh on the cusp, and Schiffer ended the game with an ace that was dug out of bounds. 

From this point on Foschia sat out most of the match. Nevertheless, the Warriors opened game three on top 1-0 and 5-3, and following an exchange of leads they were ahead 8-7. But after a Walsh mistake, Cloverleaf moved ahead for good 11-8 behind the serving of setter Stephanie Buckwald, and the defense of Lance who contributed a block kill and two saves, which paid off when the Warriors then hit into the net. 

And after an intervening kill by Pund, Early terminated a point down the left, Allen blocked an overpass from Early’s serve, and McCarthy smoked a cross-court kill. Early’s next serve was not returned, and from 15-9 the Colts moved further in front 20-12. 

Walsh Jesuit closed a bit. but was kept a bay by timely plays by the Colts. After they closed to 21-16 thanks to two miscues, Early blasted another termination. When Pund responded with a knock down kill followed by a block, McCarthy intervened with a kill. Then Allen took the score to game point with a dig from back court that landed in a hole in the Warriors’ right corner. 

A cross-court blast by Pund left Walsh alive at 24-19. Early tried to end it with a missile, and when that was dug she came back with a tip to midcourt to end the game. 

Walsh had thus far scored first in every game, so when McCarthy opened game four with a kill it seemed the Colts’ momentum might carry over. But Yu got the Warriors going with a kill and Pund added an ace, and Walsh was soon ahead 5-2. 

Cloverleaf, however, edged back on top 7-6, as McDermott contributed a block and Allen a kill. Once again, Yu scored a clutch kill from back court to end a long volley and retie it, and the Warriors capitalized on miscues by the Colts, and a couple of Djukic short that were duly dispatched by Pund, to go ahead 12-8. 

The Colts came right back to trail 13-12 after libero Candace Andel drilled a save from her back court into an empty corner on the Warriors’ side of the net. 

Yu, however, scored another timely kill and that sent Pund to the line where she served two aces while Meyer put a block kill on Early. And when Djukic converted a teammate’s errant pass into scoring dump, Walsh was up 18-12. 

Cloverleaf, however, kept at it, scoring twice when McCarthy blocked Meyer, and Early served up an ace. Meyer, however, came back with a hesitation hit over the block, and following a point by Allen, she blocked for a 20-15 Walsh lead. An ace by Schiffer made it 22-17. 

Cloverleaf scrapped back with three more points on kills by McDermott and Early. But Lysaght kept the Warriors in control with a kill, and Djukic dumped the penultimate point into a hole. Early kept her team's hopes alive with a kill. But proving lightning does sometimes strike twice, Djukic produced another dump to end the match.