Tiger Volleyball Downs Short-Handed Panthers
October 2, 2020 at 2:53 a.m.
Tiger Volleyball Downs Short-Handed Panthers
By Anthony Anderson-
It materialized that way Thursday night due in no small part to a COVID-related shutdown heaped upon three of NorthWood’s best players just one day earlier.
“We’ve been there,” empathetic winning coach Chandra Hepler said after her host Tigers cruised to a 25-5, 25-11, 25-8 victory over the suddenly depleted Panthers.
“I had three girls that were out for (reasons related to) COVID,” Hepler said. “This is our second match that we’ve had everybody back (between quarantines and injuries). We haven’t had a full squad all season, so I do understand exactly what they’re going through.”
Nevertheless, Warsaw’s sympathy did not show up in its play.
Consistently stoked in demeanor, diving for balls as necessary, which wasn’t often, and cranking out 40 kills along the way, the Tigers dominated each set.
They unleashed extended scoring streaks in each, including 13 in the first one, nine in the second and a pair of sevens in the third.
“I think the mindset they had,” Hepler said of her players,” was, ‘We understand, we’ve been there and we know, but we still have to play ball.’”
After all, first place in the NLC was at stake. Each team entered at 5-0 in league play.
Now Warsaw can close out its first perfect conference season, and its first outright title, since 2014 by beating visiting Concord next Thursday. The Minutemen are 2-4 in league play.
“I’m tickled pink,” Hepler said, calling an NLC title one of her team’s goals this season and reminding once more that “literally, this is our second match with our full team. All season, it’s been a rollercoaster of adversity and overcoming, and I’m super proud of the girls.”
Senior Kennedy Lauck led the way with a dozen kills — against just one hitting error — as the Tigers improved to 20-8 overall while dropping the Panthers to 20-5.
“She looked really good,” Hepler said of Lauck. “That’s probably the most fun I’ve seen Kennedy have in a match in a long time. Full of smiles, full of energy. She was working hard and it was paying off.”
Classmate Betty Barnett added seven kills, while sophomore Kaylee Weeks and freshman Melaina Hawblitzel hammered down six apiece.
Sophomore Avery Hales dished 32 assists and junior Kyle Smith picked up 22 digs.
Five different Warsaw players recorded blocks and five registered aces, including two each by Lauck and Elizabeth Schmidt.
NorthWood’s missing players were Alea Minnich, Ali Knepp and Annika Bennett, who rank Nos. 1, 2 and 4 on the season for the Panthers in kills. Lehman and Bennett are also 1-2 in blocks, and the versatile Bennett is second in serving and assists.
“Not a lot of time to figure out what we were gonna do,” NorthWood coach Hilary Laidig said of learning just Wednesday that the trio would be sidelined due to contact tracing. “Three starters, it changes our system. We kind of run a one and a half-setter system.”
Laidig said she was hopeful the players — “good girls ... an awesome group” — would be available just in time for sectionals the week of Oct. 12.
“You know what, for us, I think it made us stronger that we went through that adversity,” Hepler said of her own team’s COVID-related setbacks. “I think we were able to sharpen a lot of players. (We’re) 14, 15 people deep because of that situation, and I think it will pay off in the end.”
That’s not all, either.
“You realize what a blessing it is just every chance you get to play,” Hepler said, “because you never know when you’re gonna end up in an unfortunate situation.”
It was a situation that, among other things, made two editions of Senior Night necessary.
After Lauck, Schmidt and Sydney Morel were honored earlier in the season, Barnett and Kendra Love took their turns at being saluted on a festive Thursday for the Tigers.
The evening opened with Warsaw’s 25-11, 25-11 win in the junior varsity contest.
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It materialized that way Thursday night due in no small part to a COVID-related shutdown heaped upon three of NorthWood’s best players just one day earlier.
“We’ve been there,” empathetic winning coach Chandra Hepler said after her host Tigers cruised to a 25-5, 25-11, 25-8 victory over the suddenly depleted Panthers.
“I had three girls that were out for (reasons related to) COVID,” Hepler said. “This is our second match that we’ve had everybody back (between quarantines and injuries). We haven’t had a full squad all season, so I do understand exactly what they’re going through.”
Nevertheless, Warsaw’s sympathy did not show up in its play.
Consistently stoked in demeanor, diving for balls as necessary, which wasn’t often, and cranking out 40 kills along the way, the Tigers dominated each set.
They unleashed extended scoring streaks in each, including 13 in the first one, nine in the second and a pair of sevens in the third.
“I think the mindset they had,” Hepler said of her players,” was, ‘We understand, we’ve been there and we know, but we still have to play ball.’”
After all, first place in the NLC was at stake. Each team entered at 5-0 in league play.
Now Warsaw can close out its first perfect conference season, and its first outright title, since 2014 by beating visiting Concord next Thursday. The Minutemen are 2-4 in league play.
“I’m tickled pink,” Hepler said, calling an NLC title one of her team’s goals this season and reminding once more that “literally, this is our second match with our full team. All season, it’s been a rollercoaster of adversity and overcoming, and I’m super proud of the girls.”
Senior Kennedy Lauck led the way with a dozen kills — against just one hitting error — as the Tigers improved to 20-8 overall while dropping the Panthers to 20-5.
“She looked really good,” Hepler said of Lauck. “That’s probably the most fun I’ve seen Kennedy have in a match in a long time. Full of smiles, full of energy. She was working hard and it was paying off.”
Classmate Betty Barnett added seven kills, while sophomore Kaylee Weeks and freshman Melaina Hawblitzel hammered down six apiece.
Sophomore Avery Hales dished 32 assists and junior Kyle Smith picked up 22 digs.
Five different Warsaw players recorded blocks and five registered aces, including two each by Lauck and Elizabeth Schmidt.
NorthWood’s missing players were Alea Minnich, Ali Knepp and Annika Bennett, who rank Nos. 1, 2 and 4 on the season for the Panthers in kills. Lehman and Bennett are also 1-2 in blocks, and the versatile Bennett is second in serving and assists.
“Not a lot of time to figure out what we were gonna do,” NorthWood coach Hilary Laidig said of learning just Wednesday that the trio would be sidelined due to contact tracing. “Three starters, it changes our system. We kind of run a one and a half-setter system.”
Laidig said she was hopeful the players — “good girls ... an awesome group” — would be available just in time for sectionals the week of Oct. 12.
“You know what, for us, I think it made us stronger that we went through that adversity,” Hepler said of her own team’s COVID-related setbacks. “I think we were able to sharpen a lot of players. (We’re) 14, 15 people deep because of that situation, and I think it will pay off in the end.”
That’s not all, either.
“You realize what a blessing it is just every chance you get to play,” Hepler said, “because you never know when you’re gonna end up in an unfortunate situation.”
It was a situation that, among other things, made two editions of Senior Night necessary.
After Lauck, Schmidt and Sydney Morel were honored earlier in the season, Barnett and Kendra Love took their turns at being saluted on a festive Thursday for the Tigers.
The evening opened with Warsaw’s 25-11, 25-11 win in the junior varsity contest.
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