Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
KENDALLVILLE - Warsaw had No. 2 (4A) Fort Wayne Northrop on the ropes Saturday at the East Noble Volleyball Regional, but like a true heavyweight champion, the Bruins pulled themselves off the canvas and came back with the KO of the Tigers.
The Bruins bounced back after the Tigers took the first game, and won the next two games for a 12-15, 15-5, 15-2 win, sending Northrop to the Logansport Semistate.
"I have to give my girls credit, they did everything I asked them to do," Warsaw coach Jamie Byron said. "They went out and gave it their all. They took it to them and made them (Northrop) earn it."
The first game was tight throughout before the Tigers erased a 10-8 Northrop lead and eventually led themselves 14-11 on a kill by Shanna Smith. On their third chance at game point, the Tigers finally came through when setter Jessica Zaugg blocked Northrop's big hitter, Stephanie Bishop, for a 15-12 win.
It all changed after that.
Bishop got on track, the Bruins began to pass better, and the end result was Northrop dominating the final two games 15-5 and 15-2.
"Northrop is just a better team, but I was very proud of my girls effort tonight," Byron said. "Their passing really stepped it up in the second and third games. Our serves maybe weren't as tough. They kind of floated a little bit more than they did in the first game where they were deeper and flat."
As the Bruins improved their passing and serve reception, the offense began to click. Bishop, a 6-foot All-State candidate started to get clean shots at the ball with the Warsaw block being less and less of a factor as the match wore on.
"Their passing was a factor because their hitters were able to hit better sets," Byron said. "Then we got caught offbalance, and our blocks weren't there.
"We served to her (Bishop), and that threw her off in the first game," she said. "She had to give herself a good pass in order to swing out. In the second and third games, we went away from that. I don't know if we were just not able to hit the zones."
In the final two games, the Bruins also were able to flex their muscle up front and get a big block on the Warsaw hitters. Northrop threw a front line up against Warsaw that included the 6-0 Bishop, 6-1 Kristin Frye and 6-2 Michelle Gruesbeck.
"They are a great blocking team," Byron said. "In the first game, I think we moved the ball and mixed it up. We balanced it pretty good. We did get a chance to run a whole lot in the second and third games. That is the way it is going to be against a team like Northrop."
In the match, Nancy Mason led the way with seven kills, two aces, five digs and six blocks. Alyssa Raphael added seven kills, eight digs and two blocks. Also, Brooke Sutton got three kills, two aces and seven digs; Jessica Zaugg seven blocks and 17 assists and Sam Wideman two kills and three blocks.
Despite the loss, the Tigers certainly came a long way this season - from a young inexperienced squad to start the season with six new starters to a dangerous squad that gave the No. 2 team in the state all it could handle.
"From the first full week of practice, I don't think we thought we would be here on October 25th playing for the regional championship," Byron said. "But that is just an example of their work ethic. Even when we were tired and sick, which we five or six girls sick last week, and a few more this week, they still came in and wanted to practice hard. They just never wanted to give up."
Warsaw ends the season at 19-15, the same as last year. The Bruins upped their mark to 36-2 heading into the semistate.
The Tigers will lose Raphael, Smith, Wideman, Karla Bailey and Janel Polk to graduation.
