Jeeps knock out Blackhawks in 4
Times-Mail, Bedford, IN
By SEAN DUNCAN
sean@tmnews.com
| ORLEANS — The Springs Valley Blackhawks came out firing on all cylinders in Thursday night’s Class A, Sectional 59 championship volleyball game with No.5 Northeast Dubois, but deja vu soon set in as the Jeeps took the match 15-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-19 and the title.
In almost mirror image of its contest with Dubois in September, Valley rolled to an early 1-0 lead before the Jeeps changed gears to claim a hard-fought match.
In Game 1, the Hawks never trailed as they jumped out to an 11-7 advantage and forced the Jeeps into their first timeout.
Dubois was able to pull even early on three occasions, but didn’t have an answer for an extremely aggressive Valley.
“Our passing just wasn’t there (in Game 1), we couldn’t get the ball up to the hitters,” said Dubois coach Angela Pfister. “I think we were just intimidated by them when they first came out, but then they came back and we were able to do it.”
Hard-hitting Darcie Warner, who was instrumental in the first game, handed the Hawks a 1-0 lead in Game 2 with a powerful kill as Valley appeared to be off and rolling once again.
“We really came to play,” said Valley coach Leslie Akers. “The kids determined they needed to step their game up a notch. They recognized and respected the quality of their opponent.”
But the momentum enjoyed by the Hawks quickly shifted to ...
| 
ORLEANS — Valley’s Victoria VanderPan spikes a ball past the outstretched arms of Jill Reckelhoff of Dubois. Times-Mail / PETE SCHREINER
ORLEANS — Spring Valley’s Sarah Lowe returns a ball during Sectional 59 action Thursday night as teammates Darcie Warner (2) and Kayla Judd (14) look on. Times-Mail / PETE SCHREINER |
the Jeeps.
Dubois stepped it up in Game 2 to bolt out to a 12-5 lead, forcing Valley into a timeout.
“They just run through almost everything you hit,” Akers said. “Koryn Heeke, their setter, is outstanding. I’m amazed that some college hasn’t picked her up by now, and they may have and I don’t know it, but she can deliver the ball from anywhere on the floor. She’s just impressive. If they would get it up, she would put it in front of a hitter.”
Seniors Lauren and Megan Stemle combined for six kills in the second game as the Jeeps rolled to the 25-14 win.
Defensively Dubois stepped it up at the net as well as they blocked several of Warner’s powerful spike attempts.
“She was scaring me, I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with her,” Pfister said. “At the end, they started blocking her and we were over there on the line to dig it up. The girls did a great job.”
Valley fought its way to a 15-11 lead in Game 3, but couldn’t hold it.
Dubois slowly chipped away at Valley’s advantage and back-to-back kills from Lauren Stemle soon gave the Jeeps the lead back, 18-17.
Dubois rode its mounting momentum into Game 4 where it took a 15-10 lead.
Valley continued to battle, but it would be as close as it would come in the final game as the Jeeps continued to control the tempo.
“The last three games our passes were there, our hits were there, even our serving was there,” Pfister said. “They did a great job zone serving and I was very proud of them.”
The Hawks didn’t seem to have an answer for the number of weapons the Jeeps had at their disposal.
“Both of the Stemle girls (Megan and Lauren) hit the ball well, both their middles hit the ball well,” Akers said. “They maybe have a little more experience than we’ve got.”
Still, Valley fought valiantly down the stretch and Akers was proud of her squad that ended its season 23-7.
“I told them, ‘You absolutely played with every ounce of heart you had right down to the last minute,’ ” Akers said. “We continued to play right up the last minute, and they maintained their composure.”
Times-Mail
Sports Editor Sean Duncan welcomes comments at 277-7283 or by e-mail at sean@tmnews.com .
