Undefeated regular season

Here it is, Saturday, and I'm finally getting around to posting about Tuesday's game. Since the girls finished up their first undefeated regular season since 2005, you would think I would have been more motivated to post. The atmosphere of the evening, however, was more of getting through this one, to get on to bigger and better things. Goshen is a decent team, and gave the girls something of a game, but the anticipation of completing some unfinished business seemed to be looming over the match. As it is, the girls did finish 17-0 in non-tournament games this year, their best finish since 2005 when they were 16-0. This was the fourth year since Coach Carr has been at the helm that the Patriots finished undefeated - they also had unblemished records in 2002 and 2003. Seventeen wins is the most the team has had in an undefeated season, so this season surpassed those in that respect (the team finished 18-1 last year, which was the most regular season wins they have had).

A quick recap of the Goshen game. As you recall, CCS defeated Goshen in the semifinals of the ICST state tournament, with Goshen even winning one set. Tuesday was a little different. After the JV won their game in three hard-fought games, the varsity teams took the floor. The tone was set early in set one. A kill by Taylor which she followed with an ace. Then Faith crushed one and it was 3-0. The girls muddled through a few points, then took off again. At 6-3 they went on an 11-1 run, and the girls then maintained a double-digit lead until an ace by Faith finished it, 25-14.

The girls dominated again in game two with a strong beginning (9-1) and ending, scoring the last eight points to win it, 25-11. During the time between the second and third sets, the girls tried to get the crowd riled up. And there was a crowd, it being senior night and the last home game of the year. They weren't too successful, however, so I decided to put down the notepad and scream a little. Which seemed to distract the girls rather than spur them on. I had to leave for a church meeting before the game was over; I think it was 16-13 when I left. They did win it, 25-17, so it seems like they do better without cheering. Or because they haven't had cheering all year, they were a little disoriented when they got it. We'll see how things go at nationals.

Next week the team will have the opportunity to accomplish something no Calumet team has ever done - win a Division I championship at NACA. Going by the guidelines originally set by NACA, CCS should always be DIII because of their size. However, because of their level of play, they have never been less than Division II. They won Division II championships in 2002 and 2006. I witnessed the 2006 win, and also saw the team finish in second in 2007 (Beat Ballard!!). Calumet didn't go to NACA in 2008; we tried NSCAA (don't ask). Last year we tried both; at NACA, we went DI. According to Coach Carr, that was the second time Calumet was DI, this time the result was the same as the first time; third place. The disappointing thing was that we had defeated the two teams that finished ahead of us: Hearts for Jesus, who we beat in pool play; and Broadfording, who we beat in bracket play (the tournament is double elimination). The week before we finished second at NCSAA, which sounds pretty good until I tell you that there really were only two excellent teams there.

We haven't gotten the final list of teams playing DI yet. So far there are six: Hearts for Jesus (OH), Cornerstone (FL), Evangel (VA), Northern Methodist (AL), Bay Town (TX), and us. The checking I was able to do makes me believe that Northern Methodist and maybe Evangel will the toughest. Besides CCS, of course. Hopefully they will add two more teams so we have more games. As close as we were last year, I think the girls have a good shot at winning it all this year.

Looking forward to the tournament next week. I don't think I will miss eight annoying teenage girls behind be the whole way. Well, maybe just a little.