Well, that was fun

Who would have predicted that both the JV and the varsity would come from way back in the third games of the championship matches of their respective tournaments to win, with each ripping off long strings of points to do so. That never-say-attitude says a lot about the girls and a lot about the program. And this isn't the first time this season the varsity has done this, trailing Andrean 11-5 in game three at the Lafayette Central Catholic tournament before pulling out the victory.

Since I was at the varsity tournament, this story will be about that team. As many of you remember, we won this tournament last year, defeating three tough teams - Griffith, Merrillville and Winamac - before having a little easier time with the host team in the championship. This year Griffith and Merrillville were in our pool again, with North Judson replacing Winamac. First up was Merrillville, a team we had defeated earlier this year in three straight, two of which were very close. This time, not so much. We got on a roll, and Merrillville really didn't know how to stop it. The girls actually trailed in the first game 4-3. Faith's jump serve was working and Merrillville really couldn't handle it. Four aces, a couple of Taylor kills, a nice block by Lauren, and soon it was 13-4. Taylor's serve was also working, and when it was her turn, she also ripped off four aces in an eight-point run. Game 1: 25-8, CCS. Game two wasn't quite as dominant, but only because the girls took a bit to get going. This time the Patriots trailed 8-6 before things turned around. This time the girls's surged behind kills rather than aces, Taylor especially. On consecutive points, the girls stuffed Merrillville spikes, Lauren being involved in both. Ally placed a dink perfectly, and game two was in the books, 25-13.

North Judson was CCS's next opponent. They gave the girls a little more of a game, but not enough to make anyone nervous. NJ actually was hitting the ball pretty well in game 1. Neither team committed a lot of errors. We continued to block pretty well, better than we have recently. As late as 12-10 we led by only two, but then we began to pull away. Taylor, Faith and Ally had kills, a couple more blocks, and after a NJ hitting error, the lead was 23-13. A tiny LGFS, then Holly got the clinching kill in a 25-16 game 1 win. Game 2 saw the girls get going a little earlier, as NJ started to make some hitting errors while our girls kept up their high level of play. The lead got up to 19-8. From there the girls kind of maintained the lead and the final was the same as game 1, 25-16.

I had done a little research on our next opponent, Griffith. The Times did a feature on their 6' hitter, Kelsey Bonewits, and she was putting up some big numbers. The Post-Tribune had them ranked in the top ten in the region. We figured they would be our biggest challenge in the pool play and that turned out to be the case. Because one of the teams' bus broke down, the schedule had to be shuffled. This resulted in very long wait, over three hours, between games. So when a lot of the trouble we had in the first game was self-inflicted, it was understandable. Missed serves, net violations and hitting errors plagued us through the first half of the game, and we trailed at one point 15-11. We were still trailing 17-15 when Taylor put one down. The girls really started getting things working here. Kills by Taylor, aces by Ally, and blocks by Lauren. This resulted in ten straight points and a game 1 25-17 victory. Game two was one of streaks, as we trailed 6-3. Faith's jump serve was really dropping and CCS scored nine of the next ten points. A little later, a Faith kill made the lead five, 16-11. From there the lead eroded to one after a hitting error, 20-19. Taylor put on down which Griffith matched. Taylor didn't think they got the message so she put another one down. Faith them moved back to the front row and she got two kills and then a Griffith hitting error ended it, 25-20.

On to the championship game. Again. I think this made seven consecutive finals appearances for the Patriots. Of the previous six, five were victories. And our opponent was the same as last year, the host school, Kankakee Valley. Last year this was our easiest game of the day. Not so this year. KV played two six-foot middles, both sophomores, and had at least two other good hitters. They looked very impressive, certainly offensively, in the pool play we were able to see. At first it looked like it might be like last year. KV made a few errors, Taylor and Faith made kills and and ace by Katie gave CCS a 6-2 lead. Four errors by the Patriots plus a KV kill and it was game on, to use a cliche. Faith now began to find her hitting rhythm and KV kept going into the net and soon the Patriots had a four-point lead again, 12-8. The team went into another funk, committing a lot of errors and KV scored eight of the next nine points. And then things turned around again. Faith started finding the floor with her hits, pushing the Patriots back into the lead at 20-18. The teams traded points until it was 23-21. Then it got really interesting. After we dinked one out, KV crushed a couple and they were one point away from winning game one. Lauren kept things going with a nice block. Taylor moved into the serving position and smoked an ace. Now we were one point away. Two KV kills game them a one point lead, 26-25. It looked like we lost in on the next point, but KV was called for going into the net. Faith put one down. KV blocked the next one. 27-27. KV put the next serve into the net but then got it back with a kill. KV went into the net again and offset it with another kill. 29-29. Yet another service error followed but this time KV missed on their kill attempt. 31-29 Patriots. 31-29. The score of the final game in the state finals against Faith in 2009. Except we were on the wrong side of that one. Not that I'm bitter about that. 

We were fast out of the blocks in the second game. KV had a lot of trouble with Ally's serves (which I noticed were harder and harder as the day went on) to start the game and CCS led 4-0. That didn't last long. Two kills, an ace, and three errors by the Patriots and they were trailing. A Taylor hit followed by a Taylor ace and it was tied. Back and forth the two teams went. Another Taylor kill followed by an Ally dink and a Faith dink gave the Patriots a 15-11 lead. KV scored four straight to tie it up. Faith put one down, but that was the only highlight in a 9-2 KV run behind their hitting and blocking. CCS tied it up at 21 after a Faith ace, but KV was really in a hitting rhythm. Three of the next four points were on KV kills. Taylor got one more kill to bring the Patriots back to within one, but then a setting error ended game two. Two games, two neck-and-neck battles.

Game three was looking really bad. With every point precious because the third game is only to 15, they fell behind 5-2. KV was really hitting and blocking well. They were really using their height to their advantage. The Rohn sisters then wrapped kills around a hitting error by KV and it was tied. The teams traded points before KV strung three kills together after a CCS serving error and it was looking really bleak at 10-6. Taylor decided that it was now Taylor Time. A kill, dink and a block with Lauren brought the Patriots to within one. After a KV hitting error tied it up, it turned into Ally time. Two kills were followed by what I wrote down as a dink, but that doesn't do what she did justice. A big KV hit was dug by Faith, but she barely was able to get a hand on it and she kind of lined it toward the right side of the net. It looked like it was going into the net, but Ally somehow got over to it. Even though it was almost just a reaction, she was able to redirect the ball over the net to an open spot. All right, I just read my description, and it just doesn't describe how cool a play it was. Maybe someone has it on video. As they say, you gotta see it to believe it. That seemed to throw KV off a bit and and they hit one into the net. Such an epic match needed an exclamation point to end on, and Taylor didn't disappoint. A smash just beyond the ten foot line, right down the line. Game, match and tournament, Calumet Christian Patriots. Reigning and defending champions of the Kankakee Valley Invite.

The fun doesn't end. Heritage, our rivals of the last few years are the opponents on Tuesday, then another tough public school tournament in Terre Haute next Saturday, against three 4A schools. As always, should be fun.