In a game where both teams needed a win the most, it was the Badgers who pulled away a 3-0 sweep over arch-rivalCardinal.
Match photos click here.
In a game where both teams needed a win the most, it was the Badgers who pulled away a 3-0 sweep over arch-rivalCardinal.
The Badgers felt as though they let a win slip away from them a week ago against Kirtland, and came into Husky territory with a vengeance. On the other hand, the Huskies were riding a four-game win streak.
Kate Miller got things started with a point off her serve: a tight pass from freshman Natalie Soltis, who would make her first start in the back row. An easy kill for senior middle blocker Hayley Stoddard gave Berkshire the first point of the night, but a service error by Miller evened things up at one.
A miscommunication between two Huskies would tie the set up at five apiece, before the Badgers went on a 9-3 run and second-year Cardinal Head Coach Anne Mann called her first time out. Much of that run came from the balanced attack on offense for the Badgers. Senior opposite hitter Maddie Smetana recorded her first kill on the night when she powered it off the block.
“We came into tonight not wanting to underestimate a team, because in games past we have been giving teams way below our level a chance to compete with us,” Smetana said. “Coming into tonight, we just wanted to have all the energy and get all the points we can without giving them too many of our mistakes.”
Smetana got a lot of help from middle blocker Kirsten Shaffer, something the Badgers were missing a week ago.
“Going off of what Maddie said, Cardinal is our rival, so there were nerves,” Shaffer said. “But we all came to play volleyball and just got our heads in the game, and went for it.”
With the help from Smetana and Shaffer, setters Sammi Winters and Marissa Rish had multiple options.
A very lopsided first set went to the Badgers, 25-15. The Huskies did find success in outside hitter Ali Puruczky and middle blocker Lizzy Lucariello, but couldn’t string enough points together to make a run late in the opening set.
“In the first two sets, we were limiting our errors and making plays on our side,” said Berkshire’s 19th-year head coach, Joan Prots. “Our defense was covering the court, and our hitters were taking great swings.”
Junior Morgan Csontos recorded an ace right out the gates of the second set when her serve trickled off the top of the tape. After a hitting error and a block from Puruczky and senior Carissa Loucks, the Huskies started set two on a 3-0 run.
“Communication and keeping the energy high from the beginning and all the way to the end was our game plan,” Lucariello said.
Miller recorded her second ace on the evening, tying the set at five. Then sophomore opposite hitter Maggie Grant got a kill through the block to tie the set again at six.
Another ace from Miller, and a kill recorded for Hannah Hutchinson, forced the Huskies to call their first timeout of the second set, trailing 9-6. A strong serving performance from Smetana would be halted after the volleyball grazed off her jersey in the back row, resulting in a free ball kill for Csontos.
After an injury timeout for the Huskies, it was all Berkshire. A kill out of the middle from Shaffer ended set two, 25-18.
If the Huskies wanted to extend the match, they would have to find a way to slow down the Badger offense.
A tip kill for Stoddard recorded the first point of the third set. The Huskies began the third set hot, forcing Coach Prots to call a timeout early, her Badgers trailing 9-5. Shaffer ended the run with a kill out of the middle. Once Cardinal forced three errors, the set was tied at nine apiece.
Cardinal went up 21-19 after forcing the Badgers into multiple hitting errors, service errors, and more.
“The girls played well together,” Mann said. “We have been working with a new line-up, and the girls adjusted well to that. We are trying to find that perfect fit, what works for our team. We have some talented girls who have been in the gym working to improve their personal skills and the overall chemistry of the team.
“Our defense was outstanding. They came together and worked to execute plays off a dug ball and free balls. We have been working on placing the ball and taking care of our side of the court so we are in the best position to score. Mistakes are going to happen; we just need to be the team with fewer.
“We will continue to fine tune our skills and continue to grow together. Raising the standards and setting the mindset expectation will carry us through. The girls have adjusted and have really taken ownership of this season. We have some great future leaders on the court.”
A late comeback from the Badgers ended the third set, 25-23, and the match 3-0 in favor of the Badgers. In fitting fashion, Shaffer ended the evening with a kill.
“During the third set, we had too many unforced errors and that kept us battling from behind for most of the set,” Prots said. “Luckily, we were able to clean it up for the last several rallies and pulled out the set to win the match.”
Smetana led the match with 17 kills on 42 swings. She also added one block, and picked up 12 digs for another recorded double-double on the season.
Shaffer added 12 kills, while Rish picked up seven. Stoddard led the front row with three blocks, while Miller anchored the back row with 20 digs. Rish led the offense with 26 assists, while Winters pitched in with 14 and a team-high four aces on the match.
The Badgers recorded eight aces, forcing the Huskies into six serve-receive errors, making it uncomfortable for the offense of the Huskies.
“I thought our defense played well overall,” Prots said. “Maddie had some great swings, as usual, but Kirsten and Marissa also provided some much needed help for Maddie. And Sammi just kept everyone calm and delivered the ball to the right hitters at the right times.
“We need to continue to work on limiting our unforced errors. It almost got us in set three and has hurt us in previous matches. It’s a daily message we try to deliver to the girls.”
Puruczky led the Huskies with 12 kills on the night. Lucariello added five. Csontos and junior setter Maddie Ehrhardt each contributed 14 digs, while Ehrhardt led with 16 assists.
“The energy is always high when Berkshire comes to Cardinal,” Mann said. “It is exciting preparing to play a rival of ours, especially since Coach Richardson and I coached with Joni and Jamie, and those upperclassmen were ours.
“It was some good volleyball on both sides of the net. Coach Rich and I were so proud of those girls we coached and so proud of our Huskies!”
