Post by Todd B on Oct 18, 2007 22:30:22 GMT -5
Blue Streaks get sweet revenge
www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/SPORTS/110170082
IDA - Ida's volleyball team didn't have to wait long for revenge.
Two days after losing to Erie Mason in the finals of the Ida Tournament, the Blue Streaks administered a quick payback by sweeping the Eagles 27-25, 25-19, 25-13 Tuesday night in a Lenawee County Athletic Association showdown.
The arch-rivals entered the match tied for first with one loss in the league.
Ida's only LCAA loss this season has been to Mason. In fact, the Blue Streaks hadn't beaten the Eagles in three tries with two losses and a split.
"We played better defense than we have all year," said Ida coach Bree Hickman. "We came out with a mission. We had a game plan and stuck to it. That was the main thing. We played together, we served aggressively and we hit the ball where they weren't."
Hickman wouldn't say what the game play was, but part of it had to be tipping against Mason's scrappy defense. The Blue Streaks mixed their spikes with soft hits that usually were effective.
Junior Kari Honomichl had a big night with 18 kills, 21 digs and a .520 hitting percentage. None of her kills were more important than a soft two-handed push that just climbed the net and fell safely.
Mason had taken a 25-24 lead in game one on back-to-back aces by Brooke Hearn. An Eagle hitting error tied the score, Honomichl's push gave Ida the lead and another wide hit by Mason clinched the game for the Blue Streaks.
It was downhill after that for the Eagles.
"We had 24 hitting errors and 10 serving errors, so we gave them the equivalent of one game," said Mason coach Kim Rector. "We were all individuals, and volleyball is not an individual game.
"They were tipping to be successful. We were tipping and it wasn't working. We didn't stick to our game plan. We played with heart, but we were not a team today."
Ida setter Ashley Begeman said the Blue Streaks "wanted it so bad. All of us went all out. We were aggressive. I feel like I can set any one of my players and I can rely on them to get a kill and do the smart thing."
Honomichl added, "We were all just really pumped up. You could tell how much we wanted this one."
The Blue Streaks also got solid performances from Kayla Spotts (16 digs, 6 kills), Carley Osgood (10 digs), Suzanne Taylor (9 digs), Tonya Berta and Begeman (27 assists, 9 digs).
Spotts, a three-year starter at outside hitter, and defensive specialist Ashley Daniels are the only seniors on Ida's roster. They were honored Tuesday before their final home match. Daniels had a key ace in the final game.
"I couldn't dream of a better match for my last home game," Spotts said. "The fans were great, the national anthem (sung by Ida JV player Molly Daniels) was awesome and the atmosphere was amazing. I don't think I've ever been so up for a game. We were all pumped up for tonight."
No one on Mason's team had more than 5 kills, but Stacey Strobel and Hearn were outstanding defensively. Strobel had 13 digs and Hearn was 37-for-39 passing along with her 5 kills and 4 aces. Chaz Jablonski also had 5 kills and Jade Cunningham had 4.
The Eagles slipped into a tie for second place with Blissfield in the LCAA with a 6-2 mark. They are 19-7-3 overall. Ida improved to 7-1 and 26-5-5. The Blue Streaks still probably have to beat Blissfield next week for an outright title.
Mason and Ida could meet again for a fifth time in the Class B District finals at Milan.
"I'm learning what a huge rivalry this is," said Hickman, who is in her first season as Ida coach. "No matter how good one team is, the other is going to come out fighting."
Ida swept the JV match 25-11, 25-16. Rachel Swanson (4 kills, 5 digs), Kaitlyn Hoppert-Fox (5 kills, 10 digs) and Carrie Kloster (6 points, 3 digs, 2 blocks) paced the winners.
The freshman match also went to the Blue Streaks 21-25, 25-16, 15-10. Paxton Mueller, Nancy Ferguson, Alisha Sambiagio, Maegan Schuster and Madeline Hamilton played well.
www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/SPORTS/110170082
IDA - Ida's volleyball team didn't have to wait long for revenge.
Two days after losing to Erie Mason in the finals of the Ida Tournament, the Blue Streaks administered a quick payback by sweeping the Eagles 27-25, 25-19, 25-13 Tuesday night in a Lenawee County Athletic Association showdown.
The arch-rivals entered the match tied for first with one loss in the league.
Ida's only LCAA loss this season has been to Mason. In fact, the Blue Streaks hadn't beaten the Eagles in three tries with two losses and a split.
"We played better defense than we have all year," said Ida coach Bree Hickman. "We came out with a mission. We had a game plan and stuck to it. That was the main thing. We played together, we served aggressively and we hit the ball where they weren't."
Hickman wouldn't say what the game play was, but part of it had to be tipping against Mason's scrappy defense. The Blue Streaks mixed their spikes with soft hits that usually were effective.
Junior Kari Honomichl had a big night with 18 kills, 21 digs and a .520 hitting percentage. None of her kills were more important than a soft two-handed push that just climbed the net and fell safely.
Mason had taken a 25-24 lead in game one on back-to-back aces by Brooke Hearn. An Eagle hitting error tied the score, Honomichl's push gave Ida the lead and another wide hit by Mason clinched the game for the Blue Streaks.
It was downhill after that for the Eagles.
"We had 24 hitting errors and 10 serving errors, so we gave them the equivalent of one game," said Mason coach Kim Rector. "We were all individuals, and volleyball is not an individual game.
"They were tipping to be successful. We were tipping and it wasn't working. We didn't stick to our game plan. We played with heart, but we were not a team today."
Ida setter Ashley Begeman said the Blue Streaks "wanted it so bad. All of us went all out. We were aggressive. I feel like I can set any one of my players and I can rely on them to get a kill and do the smart thing."
Honomichl added, "We were all just really pumped up. You could tell how much we wanted this one."
The Blue Streaks also got solid performances from Kayla Spotts (16 digs, 6 kills), Carley Osgood (10 digs), Suzanne Taylor (9 digs), Tonya Berta and Begeman (27 assists, 9 digs).
Spotts, a three-year starter at outside hitter, and defensive specialist Ashley Daniels are the only seniors on Ida's roster. They were honored Tuesday before their final home match. Daniels had a key ace in the final game.
"I couldn't dream of a better match for my last home game," Spotts said. "The fans were great, the national anthem (sung by Ida JV player Molly Daniels) was awesome and the atmosphere was amazing. I don't think I've ever been so up for a game. We were all pumped up for tonight."
No one on Mason's team had more than 5 kills, but Stacey Strobel and Hearn were outstanding defensively. Strobel had 13 digs and Hearn was 37-for-39 passing along with her 5 kills and 4 aces. Chaz Jablonski also had 5 kills and Jade Cunningham had 4.
The Eagles slipped into a tie for second place with Blissfield in the LCAA with a 6-2 mark. They are 19-7-3 overall. Ida improved to 7-1 and 26-5-5. The Blue Streaks still probably have to beat Blissfield next week for an outright title.
Mason and Ida could meet again for a fifth time in the Class B District finals at Milan.
"I'm learning what a huge rivalry this is," said Hickman, who is in her first season as Ida coach. "No matter how good one team is, the other is going to come out fighting."
Ida swept the JV match 25-11, 25-16. Rachel Swanson (4 kills, 5 digs), Kaitlyn Hoppert-Fox (5 kills, 10 digs) and Carrie Kloster (6 points, 3 digs, 2 blocks) paced the winners.
The freshman match also went to the Blue Streaks 21-25, 25-16, 15-10. Paxton Mueller, Nancy Ferguson, Alisha Sambiagio, Maegan Schuster and Madeline Hamilton played well.