Lady Squires Upend Rival Whitko
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
In the Three Rivers Conference battle between the two rivals, Manchester (10-6, 1-1 TRC) dominated the opening two games 25-19, 25-18, but Whitko (2-8, 0-2 TRC) bounced back to take the third 25-19.[[In-content Ad]]After being sent back on its heels, Manchester responded with a 25-16 fourth-game victory, taking the match.
"I'm glad in Game 4 we decided to play," Manchester coach Sarah Lochner said.
But it wasn't just that Manchester wasn't playing well in the third game, Whitko just found a new defensive intensity, digging just about every ball imaginable. On the night, senior Stephanie Camden led the Lady Wildcats with 31 digs, followed by junior Sammy Klerner's 15 and Lindsey Hardesty's 13.
"We have a lot of players that are quick, athletic and have good ball-handling skills," Whitko coach Doug West said. "So, we should be digging lots of balls, which we did tonight. That's kind of of the signature of our team. If we can play good defense, pass and stay in system, then we're going to be harder to beat."
After blowing threw the first two games, Lochner also noticed a difference in the Lady Wildcats.
"They played great defense tonight," she said. "They're working hard, they're making changes and really coming along on."
The defense may have been working, but Whitko's service game was not, especially in the opening game.
Of Manchester's 25 points in the Game 1 victory, seven came off Whitko serves that either landed in the net or out of bounds.
"Our serving could be more effective," West said.
Along with the service errors, Whitko was also playing without seniors Rachelle Kessie and Camden, who sat out the opening game because of a coach's decision.
Once they did enter the match, Camden ended up leading the team in digs, while the 6-foot Kessie had a team-high 10 kills and five blocks.
"She's an excellent net player for us," West said about Kessie. "She's obviously our biggest, tallest, most experienced player. So we get a lot of confidence and energy when she's going across the front row."
At one point in the second game, Kessie let her defensive prowess be known with three-consecutive blocks. That kind of defense made Manchester search for other ways to score.
"We have to make our setter make some adjustments with her being in there and our blockers need to make some adjustments, because she outreaches everybody on our team," Lochner said. "It took us a couple of plays to make that adjustment."
On her side of the net, Lochner has looked to junior Tiffany Clark for offense, and she led the squad with a match-high 14 kills.
"I told her in the last game that we needed her to put the ball on the floor and she did it," Lochner said of Clark, who also had two aces and 19 digs. "She did a nice job. She's been working really hard in a new position."
Lochner also received a match-high 41 digs from junior Meika Kennedy, while junior Malyssa Bedke led the way with 33 assists, junior Kaylee Watson had 24 digs and nine kills and freshman Sydney Snep had seven kills.
Manchester will be at Saturday's Wabash Invitational and Whitko's next match is Monday at home against Rochester.
MANCHESTER DEF. WHITKO 25-19, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16
Kills - Tiffany Clark (M) 14, Rachelle Kessie (W) 10, Kaylee Watson (M) 9, Karissa Olinske (W) 8, Sydney Snep (M) 6; Aces - Watson (M) 3, Clark (M) 2, Meghan Peters (W) 2; Digs - Meika Kennedy (M) 41, Stephanie Camden (W) 31, Watson (M) 24, Clark (M) 19, Sammy Klerner (W) 15, Lindsay Hardesty (W) 13; Assists - Malyssa Bedke (M) 33, Peters (W) 20; Blocks - Kessie (W) 5
Records: Manchester 10-6 (1-1 TRC), Whitko 2-8 (0-2 TRC)
In the Three Rivers Conference battle between the two rivals, Manchester (10-6, 1-1 TRC) dominated the opening two games 25-19, 25-18, but Whitko (2-8, 0-2 TRC) bounced back to take the third 25-19.[[In-content Ad]]After being sent back on its heels, Manchester responded with a 25-16 fourth-game victory, taking the match.
"I'm glad in Game 4 we decided to play," Manchester coach Sarah Lochner said.
But it wasn't just that Manchester wasn't playing well in the third game, Whitko just found a new defensive intensity, digging just about every ball imaginable. On the night, senior Stephanie Camden led the Lady Wildcats with 31 digs, followed by junior Sammy Klerner's 15 and Lindsey Hardesty's 13.
"We have a lot of players that are quick, athletic and have good ball-handling skills," Whitko coach Doug West said. "So, we should be digging lots of balls, which we did tonight. That's kind of of the signature of our team. If we can play good defense, pass and stay in system, then we're going to be harder to beat."
After blowing threw the first two games, Lochner also noticed a difference in the Lady Wildcats.
"They played great defense tonight," she said. "They're working hard, they're making changes and really coming along on."
The defense may have been working, but Whitko's service game was not, especially in the opening game.
Of Manchester's 25 points in the Game 1 victory, seven came off Whitko serves that either landed in the net or out of bounds.
"Our serving could be more effective," West said.
Along with the service errors, Whitko was also playing without seniors Rachelle Kessie and Camden, who sat out the opening game because of a coach's decision.
Once they did enter the match, Camden ended up leading the team in digs, while the 6-foot Kessie had a team-high 10 kills and five blocks.
"She's an excellent net player for us," West said about Kessie. "She's obviously our biggest, tallest, most experienced player. So we get a lot of confidence and energy when she's going across the front row."
At one point in the second game, Kessie let her defensive prowess be known with three-consecutive blocks. That kind of defense made Manchester search for other ways to score.
"We have to make our setter make some adjustments with her being in there and our blockers need to make some adjustments, because she outreaches everybody on our team," Lochner said. "It took us a couple of plays to make that adjustment."
On her side of the net, Lochner has looked to junior Tiffany Clark for offense, and she led the squad with a match-high 14 kills.
"I told her in the last game that we needed her to put the ball on the floor and she did it," Lochner said of Clark, who also had two aces and 19 digs. "She did a nice job. She's been working really hard in a new position."
Lochner also received a match-high 41 digs from junior Meika Kennedy, while junior Malyssa Bedke led the way with 33 assists, junior Kaylee Watson had 24 digs and nine kills and freshman Sydney Snep had seven kills.
Manchester will be at Saturday's Wabash Invitational and Whitko's next match is Monday at home against Rochester.
MANCHESTER DEF. WHITKO 25-19, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16
Kills - Tiffany Clark (M) 14, Rachelle Kessie (W) 10, Kaylee Watson (M) 9, Karissa Olinske (W) 8, Sydney Snep (M) 6; Aces - Watson (M) 3, Clark (M) 2, Meghan Peters (W) 2; Digs - Meika Kennedy (M) 41, Stephanie Camden (W) 31, Watson (M) 24, Clark (M) 19, Sammy Klerner (W) 15, Lindsay Hardesty (W) 13; Assists - Malyssa Bedke (M) 33, Peters (W) 20; Blocks - Kessie (W) 5
Records: Manchester 10-6 (1-1 TRC), Whitko 2-8 (0-2 TRC)
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