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Hubbard tunes up for state tourney with tri-match win over Massillon Perry, Canal Fulton Northwest

October 29, 2009

By Jim Jicha

Second ranked Hubbard tuned up for the state tournament with a tri-match win at Canal Fulton Northwest, but an anticipated showdown between Division II state powers fizzled as 13th rated Northwest was forced to play without their top two senior middles hitters, 6’0” Toledo University recruit Dakota Harkins and 5’10” Shannon Robson.

Northwest rallied to defeat Massillon Perry in the opening match 24-26, 25-22, 25-13.

Hubbard followed with a win over Massillon Perry, and rolled past Northwest which had no answer for 6’0” outside hitter Jackie Carlisle.

A 2007 High Performance selection with a 25-inch vertical, Carlisle has committed to Youngstown State University next fall.

With Perry up 6-4 in game one, Northwest junior outside Lauren Steiner spiked a kill, and served an ace and four more points to put the Indians in front 10-6. Sophomore setter Taylor Veneziano, who stands 5’3”, contributed a block and outside Nikki Beckner added a kill.

Perry senior outside Felicia Guilliouma cut the lead to 10-8 with a blast that was blocked out. Soon after, sophomore Panther middle terminated a Meghan Vodopich short set to start a five-point run, as Vodopich block killed and Guilliouma served two aces. That put Perry in front 14-12.

Northwest rallied ahead 15-14 on a kill by junior outside Nicole Ogg, but Perry answered with three, as senior outside Maria Sutton holed a hit in the middle, and the Panthers moved ahead 20-17.

Veneziano hammered a kill down the right and scored another block, to fuel a four-point run that gave Northwest a 21-20 lead, and point trading put Northwest at match point 24-23. But a great save by Northwest libero Rachael Dudley, with help from Beckner, was erased when a Northwest hit sailed long, and the game was tied.

Perry took full advantage as Vodopich terminated the next play, and after Guilliouma thwarted a dump by Northwest, Sutton ended the game with a well-placed liner.

Unfortunately for Perry, that would be the final play of the day for Sutton, who was nursing a sore shoulder.

Ogg started game two with a well placed hit and overpass demolition. But Guilliouma got Perry on the board and the Panthers led 4-3 after block kills by sophomore middle Kayla Foltz and Beckner, and a smash by Foltz.

The Indians scored two and edged further ahead 10-7 as setter/defensive specialist Karen Paredes dished up an ace and sophomore outside Shelby Booth smoked an overpass.

Northwest moved further in front 16-11 led by two points from Steiner, and they held that margin to 21-16. Then Vodovich and Foltz teamed up for a booming block to start a three point Panther spurt, but the rally stalled on a net serve.

The next volley was intense, and Northwest appeared to have gone ahead 23-19 on a kill by Steiner that finally ended it. But it turned out the wrong player had served and the score was changed to 22-20. Northwest compounded that with a hitting error.

Beckner saved things on the next play with a heads up hit that scored, and when a Perry lift ended a long and intense volley, the Indians were at game point. Senior outside Valery Paris kept Perry alive with a tip. But Ogg answered with a line drive cross-court shot that was dug under the net, and the match was tied.

Ogg got Northwest going in the tiebreaker with a quick hit blast, and followed an ace by Veneziano with a cross-court smash. Vodopich saved a teammate’s errant pass with a scoring dump, but Ogg popped another point into a hole and the Indians went up 5-1. A termination by Veneziano made it 9-4, and with Steiner serving, Booth and Beckner tallied five more kills to put the Indians up 14-4.

Perry closed a bit to 16-10, but Beckner served another six-point run, which Paredes capped with a dump that ended an intense volley. Booth eventually scored match point with a spike from the middle to the right line.

In the second match, Hubbard struggled with Perry in game one but came away with a 20-25, 25-14, 25-16 victory.

Jackie Carlisle started things with a boom, spiking off the block and blocking as Hubbard jumped out 2-0. Perry rallied in front 4-3 on a kill by Guilliouma, but Hubbard scored three straight as senior middle hitter Lexi Starheim aced, and 5’10” junior opposite Jillian Hinkle scored on a well-placed hit that was dug out.

The Panthers retied at seven and raced ahead 12-7 as Guilliouma added two aces, outside hitters Dawn Killmer and Hannah Tisdale teamed for a block, and the Eagles obliged with two long hits. Hubbard could not rally, and with the score 18-13, Guilliouma spiked a kill off the block and Vodopich jump served three aces.

The Eagles finally did score four, but Guilliouma ended that with a tip. When the Eagles couldn’t return a double block from By Paris and Tisdale, the Panthers were up 24-17. Hubbard got three more as junior middle Haley Turner and senior outside Courtney Angelo ended contested volleys with kills. But a long hit ended the game.

Carlisle started things again in game two, this time with a termination off a slide. Foltz promptly tied with a kill but Carlisle answered with a blast to back court, and Hubbard went atop 3-1. Foltz hammered a kill off a Vodovich quick set. But the Panthers compounded a net serve with two more miscues, and the roof fell in as Carlisle wreaked havoc with five aces, while Turner spiked a kill and Hinkle chipped in with a block.

Junior Panther outside Dawn Killmer finally ended the run, but Carlisle terminated two volleys from back row. Upon rotating to the front, she fueled another four point run and the Eagles soared away 21-6, and from there it was a matter of time.

Perry came out fighting in the tiebreaker, with Fotlz holing a point and Vodopich scoring on a spike off the block, as junior libero Kim Gabel kept a Carlisle bomb from touching the floor. Hubbard tied at two, and scoring went back and forth, and Perry edged back in front 9-7.

However, Hubbard retied thanks to two errors, and Carlisle followed up with three kills, as Angelo prevented a line drive dump by Vodopich from scoring. The six point run put Hubbard up for the first time, and for good. It was capped by a frenetic volley that was kept alive by Eagle libero Dawn Lingenfelter and Perry’s Gabel, and ended by a quick set smash down the middle by Starheim.

Hubbard upped the lead to 20-12 from there. With the score 22-16, Carlisle slammed a kill, Angelo smoked a cross-court ace and Carlisle and Starheim double blocked to end the match.

Hubbard won the final match over Northwest 25-11, 25-7. The Eagles jumped out 4-0 as Carlisle and Starheim each slammed kills. After point trading to 9-5, the Eagles exploded for seven points, led by four more kills from Carlisle and Starheim. They kept right on going to 24-9, and Angelo ended it with a cross-court slam.

Digs by Lingenfelter kept Northwest from scoring first in game two, and Carlisle finally pounded a kill to back middle. Ogg tied with a kill, but Carlisle nailed a cross-court shot, and Starheim followed with a smash that was dug completely over Hubbard’s back line. She added a quick hit kill and a tip to put Hubbard 6-1. And when Ogg broke that run, Carlisle slammed three more points.

Northwest couldn’t put together multiple points, while Hubbard added three more four-point bursts, including a match ender that featured a block by Carlisle, two aces from Angelo and a block by Starheim.