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West Salem Northwestern, Orrville head for District final rematch October 23, 2008 By Jim Jicha West Salem Northwestern and Orrville are headed for a district final showdown this evening at Smithville High School, after maneuvering through a tough semifinal bracket. On Tuesday, fifth ranked Northwestern defeated scrappy Creston Norwayne 25-20, 25-14, 31-29, and tenth rated Orrville toppled number six Smithville 25-23, 25-18, 25-20. This will be the first time the two Wayne County schools have met since last year's district final, which was won by Northwestern. Tonight’s winner will head for the Barberton Regional. The four teams entered play with a combined record of 83-13. Northwestern and Smithville tied for first in the Wayne County Athletic League, with Norwayne taking third, so six of the 13 losses came when those teams played each other. The WCAL co-champs both won major tournaments, Northwestern the Norwalk Invitational and Smithville the GlenOak Invite. Orrville finished runner-up in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, and two of their four losses were to league champ Mansfield Madison and third place Wooster, both in five. The Red Riders were also nipped by Mentor 25-20, 22-25, 27-25 in the semifinal of the Massillon Jackson Invite and by Midwest Athletic Conference power Rockford Parkway 25-22, 10-25, 26-24 in the title match at Lima Bath’s Kewpee Invitational. Orrville recently edged Wooster Triway, ranked second in Division II, and the Red Riders are the last team to defeat St. Henry. Since losing to Orrville in the Kewpee opener, St. Henry has won twelve straight. The 14-10 Redskins defeated Parkway in their district semifinal on Tuesday 25-17, 25-19, 21-25, 29-27, and will face Liberty Center for a trip to the Division III Liberty-Benton Regional. But we digress. Northwestern won in three, but never fully shook Norwayne in game one, and the Huskies had to fend off four game points in the final set. Northwestern Coach Veronica Briggs was unhappy with her team’s performance, saying a good description would be “ugly”, which she noted “was good in case anybody came to scout us”. And she admired the way “Norwayne battled”. The teams traded errors to start game one which was tied nine times to 10-10. Northwestern took their first lead 3-2 on a kill by outside/middle hitting sensation and Ohio all-time career kills leader Kara Koch. Defensive specialist Janette Calame dug Koch’s next missive, but Koch atoned for that and an ensuing hitting error with a cross-court termination. Outside hitter Kristen Warner pounded two kills to put Northwestern up 7-5, but Norwayne moved back on top 8-7, led by a block from 5’10” sophomore Kayla Wilson and an ace from sophomore Samantha Booth. Kills by sophomores Abby Hanzie and 5’11” middle Bethany Grimes kept the Bobcats a pace ahead to 10-9. But after Koch retied with a block, setter Marissa George served two aces and, following an error, the Huskies moved ahead 16-10 led by Koch and outside hitter Damien Greene. The Bobcats clawed back to within 17-14 on kills by Wilson, Kent, and libero Megan Hanzie who found a hole in the right front. And after George prevailed on a play at the net for the Huskies, Wilson, Molly Hanzie and Gallion all scored to cut the margin to 18-17. But the Bobcats hurt themselves with two miscues, and after a Northwestern serving error, Koch went on a rampage with two spikes and a line drive tip to open things up at 23-18. Gallion countered with a kill but Koch retorted with a blast off the slide that was dig over and way out. Gallion teamed with Kent to block Koch, postponing the inevitable, which came when two handed a game winning shot into an empty back court. Outside hitter Paige Hagans got Northwestern started in game two, as the teams exchanged points with Kent tying at three on a termination. Husky outside Kelsey Reed directed a heads up save to Norwayne’s back line, sending Koch to the service line. On the next volley, outside Damien Greene saved a partial block with a fall-down dig and Warner scored a kill, and after an ace from Koch, Reed holed a pop hit. Warner scored four more, Reed served six points and the Huskies bobsledded away 14-4. Norwayne scored six of seven, led by Abby Hanzie and Kent. But after a timeout, Koch terminated a ball that ricocheted off a defender and slammed into the back wall. She also demolished a George quick set and cratered an overpass of libero Kim Bowman’s serve. Bowman followed with an ace to make it 21-11, and the teams traded points to the end. In the third set Norwayne scored first on a kill by senior outside Courtney Kent, and they led 3-2 after a smash by Gallion. But Koch retied it at three, Warner opined from backcourt, and Koch terminated a short set by George. Norwayne scrapped back into the lead 7-5 as Wilson put a big block on Koch. The Huskies tied on a kill by Reed and the teams traded scores to nine. A couple of Husky errors and a kill from Gallion put Norwayne up 12-9. But Koch started another barrage with a bomb from back court. That brought her to the fore where she added three kills and a block. And when George scored on a play at the net, the Huskies were up 14-12. Gallion broke the run with a kill, and Abby Hanzie recovered from digging a partial block by Koch to retie it with a kill. But Koch then outscored the Bobcats 4-2, leaving the Huskies atop 18-16. But Norwayne rallied again as Kent tipped, Molly Hanzie spiked and Howard served an ace. Wilson quick hit a Molly Hanzie set and, after a Husky timeout, Kent spiked off the block. Briggs reminded her players that “nobody’s going to hand us anything… the decision is yours, you can either win it or give it away”. As it turned out, nobody gave away anything from then on. Briggs said afterward the “back and forth at the end was the best played part of the match”. At any rate, Warner finally staunched the Bobcat run with a short set kill, and Norwayne lifted a great dig by Bowman that came their way. Warner blocked and spiked the Huskies in front 22-21, and she scored two more kills that offset Husky errors and put Northwestern at match point 24-23. But Gallion block killed to force another tie. And she followed a termination by Koch with a cross-court kill, and then blocked Koch to put the Bobcats up 26-25. George tipped an overpass to retie and the teams traded errors. Wilson blocked Warner, who retaliated with a kill. Kent spiked the Bobcats back on top 29-28. But retied with a bomb down the left, then sent over a hard to reach tip that was dug into the net. She ended the match with a shot into an empty left backcourt. Briggs cited Warner for her play at the end. “Kristen is our go-to when she’s in front. She loves the pressure, so we give her the ball and let her swat”. Norwayne finished its season at 16-8, and Northwestern advances to a showdown with Orrville at 23-1. Stat leaders for Northwestern: Kills: Koch 24, Warner 19; Blocks: Koch 4, Warner 2; Aces: George, Koch 2; Digs: Warner 15, Bowman 14, Greene 10; Assists George 43. ****************************************************************************** In the second match Orrville defeated Smithville in straight sets. But the Red Riders never fully shook the Smithies, and in every game found themselves holding a precarious 18-17 lead. Orrville prevailed in part due to its ability to smoothly transition into its multi-faceted offense. The blocking of sophomore middle Hillary Plybon and 5’10” junior setter Hannah Brenner also helped. Their touches kept many Smithy spikes from getting through cleanly. And in the end, Smithville had no answer for Red Rider junior outside/middle Erin Short. Whenever Orrville really needed a point, the 6’0” hitting sensation would deliver one. Smithville took a game one 2-0 lead on a tip by junior middle Jenna Pew and an ace from outside Alex Leister. Sophomore middle Hillary Plybon spiked into an empty back middle to put Orrville on the board, but Pew blocked Erin Short to keep pace. It would be one of the few times the Smithies would stop the hitting sensation, who specializes in line drives that come slashing down from just atop the net. After a block by Smithy sophomore outside Courtney Pumphrey, senior outside/middle Melanie Lamb scored for Orrville which the tied it at four. Sophomore middle Julie Pollick spiked a Jena Hartzler short set to put Smithville back ahead with a before Short finally scored her first kill. Play became a bit sloppy as Smithville went up 8-5 and Orrville followed with four straight for its first lead. But Pew retied with a kill from backcourt and libero Leah Martin served Smithville to a 13-9 lead. She also scored on a diving dig of Short that went over the net and into a hole. Senior Red Rider outside Casey Bishop ended the rally with a high arching hit to back court and Short scored her second kill, a blistering line drive that terminated an intense volley and cut the lead to 14-12. Following a kill by Leister, Brenner left handed a kill dump and crunched an overpass. Short clobbered a short set and a shoot from Brenner, the sets helped by passes from defensive specialist Lauren Mastroine. That left the Red Riders on top 17-15. Pew retied matters with a kill and ace, but Short spiked another point cross-court and Brenner served an ace. Orrville, however, lifted a spike by Pollick, and Short hit one out, retying the score. Short, however, line drove a set from far left into oblivion. Smithville senior outside Bethany Indermuhle ended a long volley with a kill for what was to be the final tie. Bishop then blasted a spike that was lifted to give Orrville the lead for good. Plybon added a block kill and holed two points. But all that almost came to naught when Orrville made two errors and, after a time out, Pew ended a long volley with a kill. Plybon thwarted hopes of a comeback with a soft hit into another hole to end the game. The teams traded early leads in game two up to 4-4. Then Short spiked two points and teamed with Lamb on a block, and libero Kelley Johnson aced to give Orrville an 8-4 lead. Short scored two more as the Red Riders continued to 10-6. But Smithville scored two and point trading left Orrville on top 13-10, at which time Pew demolished a kill that and tipped to spark a rally. And after Indermuhle dug Short and junior outside Alyssa Horst found an empty backcourt, the Smithies were up 15-13. Short, however, quickly put a damper on things with a tip and two demolitions. Brenner made another of her left handed spike dumps, and a long Smithy hit left Orrville on top 18-15. Spikes by Pew and Horst cut the margin to 18-17, but Short blocked in the middle to prevent a possible tie. She then smoked a kill, and after a point from Lamb, she went to the right and line drove a termination between defenders. Lamb stuff blocked on the left to make it 23-18. Hartzler dumped to break the run, but Short came right back with another kill. Orrville’s clinched the game when Short back pedaled and dug a spike, Lamb rejected the next missive spike at the net, and Smithville’s third attempt hit the pole. Orville never trailed in game three, but they never shook the Smithies either. The Red Riders bolted to a 4-1 lead on two blocks by Plybon and one from Brenner. Smithville tied on a kill by Horst, an ace from Hartzler and a block by Pew. Plybon and Pew traded kills and the teams exchanged two errors apiece as the teams tied six times to an 8-8 score. Orrville moved in front 10-8 and 13-9, but Smithville crept back to 13-12 and 14-13 on kills by Pew, an ace from Hartzler and a kill by Indermuhle. Short and Brenner then alternated terminations and aces, with Brenner also providing the sets. That put Orrville up 18-13, but Indermuhle then dug Short which led to a Smithville point, Leister added a kill, and once again the Red Riders lead 18-17. Smithville was undone, however, by two miscues, and after a net serve by Orrville, the Red Riders expanded their lead to 23-18 behind hitting of sophomore outside Meg Sullivan, and the right handed Plybon who delivered a left-handed liner down the left that was dug out of bounds. Orrville was called for lifting while trying to dump, the call coming after it appeared they had scored, which did not please the Red Rider crowd, and Smithville closed to 23-20. But after an untimely net serve, Short pounded a slam down the left from ten feet back of the net and the match was over. Orrville Coach Diane Shanklin said she was proud of the way her kids played through the pressure and through what she felt were a couple of bad calls. “We stuck together, had faith in each other and let our skills do the talking”. She commended Plybon who “played big” despite having just returned to school from a two day illness. Asked what Orrville’s plan was for Jenna Pew, Shanklin responded “We followed her wherever she went”. Smithville closes at 23-2, while Orrville moves on to their match with Northwestern at 21-4. Stats: Orrville: Assists: Brenner 33, Serving: Johnson: 17-17, 11 points, Mastroine 9-9; Kills: Short 21, Plybon 12; Blocks: Short and Plybon 3 each; Digs: Bishop 13, Mastroine 12, Johnson 11 Smithville: Assists: Hartzler 27; Serving: Hartzler and Martin 8 each; Digs: Martin 14, Leister 12
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