Lady Squires Top TRC Rival Valley
September 16, 2016 at 4:23 p.m.
Lady Squires Top TRC Rival Valley
By Dale [email protected]
Playing at Three Rivers Conference rival Tippecanoe Valley, Manchester won the first two games easily, followed by a pair of wins by the Lady Vikings.
The decisive fifth game was the only one that was close throughout, and Manchester coach Rebekah Haynes said her team played best Thursday when it was relaxed and having fun.
“To pull off a win against Tippy Valley is a big thing for us, so we’re excited,” said Haynes, whose team won 25-15, 25-14, 8-25, 22-25, 15-11.
“We said ‘we had a lot of fun in Games 1 & 2, let’s come back out like that team, not worried about whether we win or lose, but just playing like we love the sport.’
“That’s a big thing for our team. We play a lot better when we’re more relaxed and having fun, rather than being so worried about what the score is, or who we’re playing.”
There were no ties or lead changes in the first game, as the Lady Squires scored the first four points and quickly built a 17-8 advantage.
In the second game, Valley scored the first point, but Manchester came storming back to take an 8-1 lead en route to the win and 2-0 advantage in the match.
Games 3 & 4 were quite the reverse, however, as the Lady Vikings built big leads – 21-6 in the third and 10-1 in the fourth – to force the tiebreaker.
Valley beat the Lady Squires earlier this season in a tournament at Manchester.
After Thursday’s match, Valley coach Mallory Eaton said her players were guilty of overlooking Manchester.
“I think what happened, and this happens in every high school sport, but we played them earlier in the season and beat them pretty easily, and I think my girls thought ‘oh, this is going to be easy,’” said Eaton. “I tried to tell them Manchester is coming back for revenge.
“For some reason, we’re that Game 3 team ... when our backs are against the wall, suddenly we decide to play. I made a lot of lineup changes.?I think that really sparked some things. We have a lot of options, I enjoy that as a coach. We started putting in some other people, and we made some great defensive plays. I think that helped our confidence, and our passing improved ... but then it was just a little too late.”
Manchester led 5-1 and 10-5 in the fifth game, though Valley rallied and cut the deficit to 12-10 before the Lady Squires sealed the deal.
“It says a lot ... it says they’re growing as players, and definitely as a team,” Haynes said of the win. “Tonight was a big stepping stone for us. We’ve had a few off-games lately. Tonight showed that we’ve made some improvement working together.”
Manchester improved to 6-9 overall and 2-2 in the TRC standings, while Valley fell to 12-7 and 1-4.
Junior Kendra Auler led the Lady Squires with 19 assists, 16 digs, two aces and a kill. Cierra Carter, the team’s only senior, tallied 15 digs, 12 kills and two aces.
Sophomore Emily Peterson tallied 35 assists for Valley, while freshman Makenzie Woodcox led the Vikings in kills with 15 and sophomore Sophie Bussard was tops in digs with 13.
MANCHESTER DEF. TIPPECANOE VALLEY 25-15, 25-14, 8-25, 22-25, 15-11
Valley stats: Assists – Emily Peterson 25, Kills – Makenzie Woodcox 15, Digs – Sophie Bussard 13, Aces – Shayleigh Shriver 3
Manchester stats: Kills – Cierra Carter 12, Mattie McKee 6, Kennedy Rosen 3, Sydney Day 2; Assists – Kendra Auler 19, McKee 1; Aces – McKee 2, Auler 2, Carter 2; Digs – Auler 16, Carter 15, Day 9, Emma Casper 5, Paige Wagoner 4, Rosen 3, McKee 2
Records: Manchester 6-9 (2-2), Valley 12-7 (1-4)
JV – Valley def. Manchester 25-18, 25-14
Valley stats: Assists – Sarah Myers 6; Digs – Allison Betten 6; Aces – Allison Miller 3; Kills – Gabby Olson 3
Manchester stats: Kills – Kennedy Lauer 3, Halie Wampler 2; Assists – Wampler 4, Greta Auler 4, Mackenzie Day 1; Aces – Wampler 1; Digs – Kara Kline 6, Lydia Greer 4, Kiera Hatfield 3, Day 3
Playing at Three Rivers Conference rival Tippecanoe Valley, Manchester won the first two games easily, followed by a pair of wins by the Lady Vikings.
The decisive fifth game was the only one that was close throughout, and Manchester coach Rebekah Haynes said her team played best Thursday when it was relaxed and having fun.
“To pull off a win against Tippy Valley is a big thing for us, so we’re excited,” said Haynes, whose team won 25-15, 25-14, 8-25, 22-25, 15-11.
“We said ‘we had a lot of fun in Games 1 & 2, let’s come back out like that team, not worried about whether we win or lose, but just playing like we love the sport.’
“That’s a big thing for our team. We play a lot better when we’re more relaxed and having fun, rather than being so worried about what the score is, or who we’re playing.”
There were no ties or lead changes in the first game, as the Lady Squires scored the first four points and quickly built a 17-8 advantage.
In the second game, Valley scored the first point, but Manchester came storming back to take an 8-1 lead en route to the win and 2-0 advantage in the match.
Games 3 & 4 were quite the reverse, however, as the Lady Vikings built big leads – 21-6 in the third and 10-1 in the fourth – to force the tiebreaker.
Valley beat the Lady Squires earlier this season in a tournament at Manchester.
After Thursday’s match, Valley coach Mallory Eaton said her players were guilty of overlooking Manchester.
“I think what happened, and this happens in every high school sport, but we played them earlier in the season and beat them pretty easily, and I think my girls thought ‘oh, this is going to be easy,’” said Eaton. “I tried to tell them Manchester is coming back for revenge.
“For some reason, we’re that Game 3 team ... when our backs are against the wall, suddenly we decide to play. I made a lot of lineup changes.?I think that really sparked some things. We have a lot of options, I enjoy that as a coach. We started putting in some other people, and we made some great defensive plays. I think that helped our confidence, and our passing improved ... but then it was just a little too late.”
Manchester led 5-1 and 10-5 in the fifth game, though Valley rallied and cut the deficit to 12-10 before the Lady Squires sealed the deal.
“It says a lot ... it says they’re growing as players, and definitely as a team,” Haynes said of the win. “Tonight was a big stepping stone for us. We’ve had a few off-games lately. Tonight showed that we’ve made some improvement working together.”
Manchester improved to 6-9 overall and 2-2 in the TRC standings, while Valley fell to 12-7 and 1-4.
Junior Kendra Auler led the Lady Squires with 19 assists, 16 digs, two aces and a kill. Cierra Carter, the team’s only senior, tallied 15 digs, 12 kills and two aces.
Sophomore Emily Peterson tallied 35 assists for Valley, while freshman Makenzie Woodcox led the Vikings in kills with 15 and sophomore Sophie Bussard was tops in digs with 13.
MANCHESTER DEF. TIPPECANOE VALLEY 25-15, 25-14, 8-25, 22-25, 15-11
Valley stats: Assists – Emily Peterson 25, Kills – Makenzie Woodcox 15, Digs – Sophie Bussard 13, Aces – Shayleigh Shriver 3
Manchester stats: Kills – Cierra Carter 12, Mattie McKee 6, Kennedy Rosen 3, Sydney Day 2; Assists – Kendra Auler 19, McKee 1; Aces – McKee 2, Auler 2, Carter 2; Digs – Auler 16, Carter 15, Day 9, Emma Casper 5, Paige Wagoner 4, Rosen 3, McKee 2
Records: Manchester 6-9 (2-2), Valley 12-7 (1-4)
JV – Valley def. Manchester 25-18, 25-14
Valley stats: Assists – Sarah Myers 6; Digs – Allison Betten 6; Aces – Allison Miller 3; Kills – Gabby Olson 3
Manchester stats: Kills – Kennedy Lauer 3, Halie Wampler 2; Assists – Wampler 4, Greta Auler 4, Mackenzie Day 1; Aces – Wampler 1; Digs – Kara Kline 6, Lydia Greer 4, Kiera Hatfield 3, Day 3
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