Elgin Classic

Benjamin Logan remembered. Last year the Raiders suffered their only regular season loss at the hands of Westfall 16-14, 15-13 in the championship of the Elgin Volleyball Classic.

That loss was etched into their memory.

This year they came to the tournament focused on playing the team in front of them and not looking ahead. And when they ran into Westfall again in the year’s final, the Raiders came out on top 25-23, 25-23.

Game one started as a spiking exhibition between Ben Logan's marquee outside hitter Nicole Fawcett and Westfall middle hitter Jessica Rodgers.

Fawcett is ranked #3 in PrepVolleyball's Senior Aces, a list of the top 250 recruits in the Class of 2005. The 6’3” outside hitter, who can touch 10’3”, had fans oohing and aahing all day with sizzling spikes that either cratered the floor, or bounced off the walls or ceiling (or both) when they were dug.

Getting back to the match, with Ben Logan up by two, Westfall tied it 5-5 on a tip by freshman Cassie Sowers and a kill by MaLeah Thornton. After a kill by Fawcett and a dump by Raider setter Laura Kastein, with two Raider errors in between, it was deadlocked 7-7.

A tip by Rodgers was blocked out for a Mustang point, but Fawcett spiked two kills and scored a block. With the score 12-10, Ben Logan went on a four point run thanks to three Westfall mistakes and a kill by Brittany McKirahan. However, the Raiders obliged with two errors of their own, and a tip by Westfall middle hitter Chelsea Popowski cut the lead to 16-13.

But the Raiders had another four point run, getting three kills from the Mckirahans, two from Brittany and one from sophomore Jayme. Westfall setter Miranda Rodgers ended that with a dump, and the teams traded points as the Raiders neared game point at 23-17. But Westfall had other ideas, and they rallied for five with Kari Rodgers, Jessica Rodgers and Sowers scoring kills.

It looked like the Mustangs might tie it when libero Beth Reed passed a smash from Fawcett, but they could not score and Fawcett buried her next hit. A tip by Kari Rodgers put the Raiders off balance and they got the ball tangled in the net. But on the next volley Fawcett slammed a spike down the line that landed on the back line for the game winner.

In the second game the teams jockeyed for the lead and there were several mini rallies. Westfall went up 6-3, but a big block by Sarah Vance started a Raider rally that put them up 7-6. Popowski tied it with a tip, but Jayme McKirahan smoked a short set kill and served an ace as Ben Logan went up 10-7. After a cross court spike by Thornton gave the Mustangs a brief respite, Fawcett had two monster kills to put Ben Logan up 13-8.

Westfall dug in their heels and rallied for a 12-3 run and a 20-16 lead, with Sowers and Jessica Rodgers leading the charge. It could have been 21-15 – on one play Rodgers was too eager to bury a Raider overpass and got called for over the net.

Now it was Ben Logan’s turn to rally and they tied it on what was perhaps Fawcett’s hardest hit of the day, a smash from left side that singed the right corner.

Popowski scored for Westfall, but Jayme McKirahan tied it, pounding a kill after her first hit was dug, and Brittany McKirahan scored on a hit down the line.

Kari Rodgers tied it at 22 on a kill from back court, and Fawcett responded in kind, placing a soft line drive into a hole. A hitting error by the Raiders resulted in another tie.

Then Fawcett pounded one into an empty space, and Westfall was in the net on the final play, not that it mattered, because Fawcett had just hit one that was dug into the wall as the whistle blew.

After the Raiders received their trophy and awards, Coach Fawcett commented that “it was a good one to win”.

It was a good one to watch too.

Ben Logan is now 14-0 on the season, while Westfall is 9-2.

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Bishop Ready captured third place with a 25-17, 19-25, 15-12 win over a tough Hopewell-Loudon team. Ready led all the way in game one, led by hitters Kasia Kucharski, Lauren Aeh and Alyssa Petrella. Aeh also contributed with her passing.

Hopewell led most of game two, with Mattie Smith and Amanda Hohman providing firepower. The tiebreaker was tied several times, including 8-8 when sophomore Lauren Chapman scored a kill for the Chieftains. After that Ready edged ahead with Aeh scoring two kills, one a cross court blast that landed on the opposite line. With Ready up 14-10, Hopewell got two more points, but Kucharski put it away for the Knights.

Bishop Ready is now 13-4 while Hopewell-Loudon is 10-5.

Pleasant defeated Elgin for fifth 25-22, 25-16. This was a rematch of Thursday night when Elgin beat the Spartans 25-21, 20-25, 18-25, 25-17, 18-16.

The first game went back and forth with Pleasant opening a 12-9 lead. Elgin rallied to go in front 19-14, as Amanda Worstell served six points. The Comets still led 22-19 when Pleasant outside hitter Heather Garner spiked a kill and Angie Haas then served out. Abbie Casey and setter Rachel Bennett teamed up on a block, Haas served an ace, there were a couple of Elgin errors and Garner’s kill scored the game winner.

Elgin was led by sophomore hitters Joscelyn Ute and Molly Creamer.

Pleasant was in charge most of game two, leading 7-2, 13-4, 17-9 and 20-10. The Comets hurt themselves with mistakes, while Pleasant middle hitter Erin Kume hurt them with spikes, and setter Rachel Bennett added two well placed tips.

Ute scored two consecutive net aces during an Elgin mini rally that narrowed the gap to 14-9. In each case the ball sat on the net, then rolled off onto Pleasant’s side.

On the final volley Spartan hitter Witney Mauk made a heads up dig near the net of a hit by Ute, and the dig went over the net into a hole.

Fredericktown topped Upper Sandusky for seventh 25-19, 27-29, 15-8. The Freddies were led by Casey Ridgeway and Ashleigh Broseus who scored the final point. The Rams were led by Kerri Kraus and Jaime Amos.

Ben Logan got a scare from Hopewell-Loudon in the first game of the semi finals winning 25-22, 25-13. The Raiders had broken open a close game on three aces by Kastein to go up 18-11. But the Chieftains went on an 8-1 run to tie at 20, with Hohman getting three kills and Andrea Engelmann adding two more. With the score 21-21 Fawcett found a hole on a hit from back court, Chelsey Orr blocked Smith and Jayme McKirahan line drove an ace. The winning point came on a block by Orr who stayed with the play after her spike was dug.

Game two was close for awhile. Finally, with Ben Logan up 12-11, Fawcett scored on a smash from the back row and Lauren Anderson served up nine points including an ace. Orr hit the match winner on a short set from Kastein.

Westfall had trouble with Bishop Ready in a 26-24, 25-19 decision. The Mustangs stampeded to a 10-2 lead on blocking and hitting by Jessica and Kari Rodgers, Sowers and aces from Miranda Rodgers, Sowers and Thornton. But Ready began pecking away and, trailing 15-11, rallied to a 17-15 lead as Petrella scored on a heads up defensive play and then served five points.

Westfall went back in front 20-18 with setter Miranda Rodgers making a one-handed reaction dig that landed on Ready’s floor. The Knights tied it at 21 when Kucharski stuffed a dump attempt by Westfall. After two more ties, the last 24-24, Jessica Rodgers spiked through the block for a kill, and a hitting error by Ready ended the game.

Game two was close at the start with six ties culminating in a 10-10 score on a kill by Jessica Rodgers. After a hitting error by Ready, Rodgers had two more kills and a block, and Westfall was never again threatened. Trailing 24-16, Ready scored three as Petrella hit a kill, and Kucharski blocked a dump and followed with a kill. However, when a Ready player got under the net the match was over.

Ready nipped Pleasant 25-18, 17-25, 15-12 and Hopewell-Loudon took host Elgin 19-25, 25-11, 15-10 in the first round.

Pleasant led early, then Ready took an 11-6 lead, after which Pleasant rallied to tie, getting two kills from Abbie Casey. Ready went back on top 15-11 and kept the lead for good, eventually winning on a block by Courtney Corrova.

Ready jumped out to an 11-4 lead in game two but Pleasant rallied to a 17-12 lead behind the hitting of Bennett and Heather Garner. The Spartans stayed in control and Casey spiked the game winner on a short set from Bennett.

The tiebreaker saw at least eight ties, before the Knights finally pulled it out. Garner gave Pleasant a 2-1 lead on a tip and an ace. Pleasant led 5-3 after several points on errors. Ready setter Cassie Clark found a hole for a kill and a Pleasant error tied it at 5. The Spartans went up 8-5, Ready rallied to lead 10-8, and Pleasant went back up 11-10 and 12-11. And that’s when Ready said “enough”. A kill by Corrova tied it, Petrella blocked a tip, then spiked a kill to the corner, and Corrova’s kill ended it.

Hopewell-Loudon used a big rally to take control of the tiebreaker. Elgin scored first on a kill by sophomore Kalie Denton, after two nice passes by Ute. Creamer made it 2-1 Elgin, but sophomore setter/outside hitter Lauren Chapman scored on a dump for the Chieftains. Megan Kaufman hit a kill down the line to give Elgin what turned out to be their last lead.

Engelmann tied it with a kill and, after two Comet errors, she served an ace. Pretty soon it was 8-3 Hopewell and after a kill by Smith and an ace by Hohman it was 10-4. Elgin closed to 11-9 thanks to some errors by the Chieftains plus kills from Ute and Denton. Then Chapman took charge for Hopewell. She scored a kill, and after an ace by Emily Bodart and a net serve, Chapman scored two more kills to end the match.

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