Marian Sweeps Warsaw Spikers
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
A year after getting their decade-long win streak against the Warsaw Lady Tigers (5-1) snapped in Mishawaka, the Lady Knights (2-0) came back with a vengeance, winning in three games, 25-21, 25-20, 25-12.
Led by senior Allison Ketcham’s 11 kills, 10 digs and two blocks, the Lady Knights’ offense was strong, as senior Jordan Bueter, a Central Michigan University commit, also had 10 kills.
“They’re just big and athletic, and more importantly, they’re highly skilled,” Warsaw coach Mike Howard said. “They have a great setter, they have tremendous outside hitters and (Ketcham) is just a polished player. And Jordan (Bueter) can do whatever she wants to do with the ball. They’re big in the middle, they have a lefty on the side, they pass the ball well. What can you say?”
The opening game featured 14 ties, the last being 16-16 before Marian got its footing to get the 25-21 victory.
The second game was a little less competitive than the first, but the last was a blowout.
“I was happy with them getting stronger and stronger, mentally tougher and doing what they can do,” Marian coach Dan Anderson said about his squad. “They were loosened up. They weren’t so tense, because last year, we went five games with Warsaw and lost the fifth. They did not want that to happen again.”
Last year’s Warsaw team featured Jamie Lacheta, who’s currently playing at Valparaiso University, and she had 32 kills in the victory.
Along with Lacheta being gone, Warsaw also lost Chloe Hubner, who had 55 assists in last year’s match, and Alex Sanchez, who recorded a team-high 25 digs a year ago.
This time around, senior Laura Craig led Warsaw with 10 kills and classmate Emily Poe had 8. The pair also had 12 digs each.
After sweeping Fort Wayne Snider in their season opener, then going 4-0 at Saturday’s Lafayette Jefferson Invitational, it seemed as if things were going to pick up where they left off from last year’s 27-6 campaign.
Then Marian came along.
“I thought our youth showed through tonight,” Howard said. “They really were tested and were really put into the fire. In the scheme of things, that hopefully pays dividends by the end of the year. We’ve had a fairly easy road the last five matches. We played really well, but how much of that is us playing well or the level of the competition. I was curious to see what would happen when we got punched tonight, and we got punched hard a couple of times.”
Following the humbling loss, Howard hopes his girls fight back, as the biggest match of the Northern Lakes Conference season comes Thursday at home against Elkhart Memorial.
“This is one of the turning-point moments in our season,” he said. “We’re going to get better from here or we’re going to take some steps back. I’m curious to see how we respond in practice the next couple of days going into Memorial.”
Snapping Memorial’s 76-match NLC winning streak last year in Elkhart, revenge will also be on the Lady Crimson Chargers’ minds come Thursday, even though Memorial did take down Warsaw in last year’s sectional semifinals.
“You just know it’s going to be a battle,” Howard said. “They’re experienced at libero, we’re inexperienced at libero. They’re experienced at setter, we’re inexperienced. We have a good middle, they have a good middle. I think we have more experience with our outside hitters, so that may be a big advantage for us.”
It can be odd for the two favorites in the conference to meet so early, but a common between the two is each has been swept by Marian this year, as the Lady Knights swept Memorial, 25-12, 25-15, 25-21.
“I went to watch that match at Marian, and they were here watching us tonight,” Howard said. “So you know a little bit of what you’re going to do. But it’s hard to gauge because Marian is so much bigger than both of us. The teams will be a little more evenly matched, size-wise. Marian just overpowers you with their size.”
The junior varsity match begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, with the varsity to follow.
MISHAWAKA MARIAN DEF. WARSAW 25-21, 25-20, 25-12
Kills – Allison Ketcham (M) 11, Jordan Bueter (M) 10, Laura Craig (W) 10, Emily Poe (W) 8; Assists – Maggie Gibson (M) 30, Cassie Hoag (W) 22; Digs – Nikki Pullin (M) 12, Poe (W) 12, Craig (W) 12, Ketcham (M) 10, Colleen Hunsberger (M) 9; Blocks – Elizabeth Asbell (M) 6, Ketcham (M) 2, Hunsberger (M) 2, Jordyn Lindeman (W) 2; Aces – Gabrielle Ravotto (M) 3
Records: Marian 2-0, Warsaw 5-1[[In-content Ad]]
Latest News
E-Editions
A year after getting their decade-long win streak against the Warsaw Lady Tigers (5-1) snapped in Mishawaka, the Lady Knights (2-0) came back with a vengeance, winning in three games, 25-21, 25-20, 25-12.
Led by senior Allison Ketcham’s 11 kills, 10 digs and two blocks, the Lady Knights’ offense was strong, as senior Jordan Bueter, a Central Michigan University commit, also had 10 kills.
“They’re just big and athletic, and more importantly, they’re highly skilled,” Warsaw coach Mike Howard said. “They have a great setter, they have tremendous outside hitters and (Ketcham) is just a polished player. And Jordan (Bueter) can do whatever she wants to do with the ball. They’re big in the middle, they have a lefty on the side, they pass the ball well. What can you say?”
The opening game featured 14 ties, the last being 16-16 before Marian got its footing to get the 25-21 victory.
The second game was a little less competitive than the first, but the last was a blowout.
“I was happy with them getting stronger and stronger, mentally tougher and doing what they can do,” Marian coach Dan Anderson said about his squad. “They were loosened up. They weren’t so tense, because last year, we went five games with Warsaw and lost the fifth. They did not want that to happen again.”
Last year’s Warsaw team featured Jamie Lacheta, who’s currently playing at Valparaiso University, and she had 32 kills in the victory.
Along with Lacheta being gone, Warsaw also lost Chloe Hubner, who had 55 assists in last year’s match, and Alex Sanchez, who recorded a team-high 25 digs a year ago.
This time around, senior Laura Craig led Warsaw with 10 kills and classmate Emily Poe had 8. The pair also had 12 digs each.
After sweeping Fort Wayne Snider in their season opener, then going 4-0 at Saturday’s Lafayette Jefferson Invitational, it seemed as if things were going to pick up where they left off from last year’s 27-6 campaign.
Then Marian came along.
“I thought our youth showed through tonight,” Howard said. “They really were tested and were really put into the fire. In the scheme of things, that hopefully pays dividends by the end of the year. We’ve had a fairly easy road the last five matches. We played really well, but how much of that is us playing well or the level of the competition. I was curious to see what would happen when we got punched tonight, and we got punched hard a couple of times.”
Following the humbling loss, Howard hopes his girls fight back, as the biggest match of the Northern Lakes Conference season comes Thursday at home against Elkhart Memorial.
“This is one of the turning-point moments in our season,” he said. “We’re going to get better from here or we’re going to take some steps back. I’m curious to see how we respond in practice the next couple of days going into Memorial.”
Snapping Memorial’s 76-match NLC winning streak last year in Elkhart, revenge will also be on the Lady Crimson Chargers’ minds come Thursday, even though Memorial did take down Warsaw in last year’s sectional semifinals.
“You just know it’s going to be a battle,” Howard said. “They’re experienced at libero, we’re inexperienced at libero. They’re experienced at setter, we’re inexperienced. We have a good middle, they have a good middle. I think we have more experience with our outside hitters, so that may be a big advantage for us.”
It can be odd for the two favorites in the conference to meet so early, but a common between the two is each has been swept by Marian this year, as the Lady Knights swept Memorial, 25-12, 25-15, 25-21.
“I went to watch that match at Marian, and they were here watching us tonight,” Howard said. “So you know a little bit of what you’re going to do. But it’s hard to gauge because Marian is so much bigger than both of us. The teams will be a little more evenly matched, size-wise. Marian just overpowers you with their size.”
The junior varsity match begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, with the varsity to follow.
MISHAWAKA MARIAN DEF. WARSAW 25-21, 25-20, 25-12
Kills – Allison Ketcham (M) 11, Jordan Bueter (M) 10, Laura Craig (W) 10, Emily Poe (W) 8; Assists – Maggie Gibson (M) 30, Cassie Hoag (W) 22; Digs – Nikki Pullin (M) 12, Poe (W) 12, Craig (W) 12, Ketcham (M) 10, Colleen Hunsberger (M) 9; Blocks – Elizabeth Asbell (M) 6, Ketcham (M) 2, Hunsberger (M) 2, Jordyn Lindeman (W) 2; Aces – Gabrielle Ravotto (M) 3
Records: Marian 2-0, Warsaw 5-1[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092