Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NAPPANEE - The score was 15-1, 15-8, and the talk circulating in coaching circles was how one team played the best volleyball match of its life, while the other played the worst match of its life.
The team with the 15s was NorthWood, and the team with the 1 and the 8 was Plymouth, a preseason favorite to win the Northern Lakes Conference.
NorthWood coach Peg Bough is asked if the talk was true.
"Yes, we put together at that time one of our better matches," she said. "We could do no wrong. And at the same time, I had never seen a team play like Plymouth did that night."
Bough paused. "We like to take teams out of their games," she said.
One team stands between NorthWood and its second straight regional title. That team is Plymouth, and the two square off in the Mishawaka Regional at Mishawaka High School Saturday afternoon. The first match begins at 2 p.m., and NorthWood/Plymouth follows.
With class volleyball, all NorthWood has to do is beat Plymouth for its second regional title in school history. Win one match, and the Panthers, who have won eight straight sectionals, are headed to semistate.
The two teams are mirror images.
Both went 4-2 in the NLC. Both had 10 losses. Plymouth finished 21-10; NorthWood went 22-10.
NorthWood's strength is its two big hitters at the net, seniors Amy Zercher and Natalie Will. Plymouth's strength is its big players, girls like Erica Delp, Lisa Mattke and Lisa Faulstich.
"They are very similar to us," Bough said. "We just hope we are stronger at the net. I'm not sure if they have anyone who can match up with Amy and Natalie."
Plymouth has the emotion named revenge on its side. The Pilgrims were embarrassed when they lost to NorthWood 15-1, 15-8. Asked if she talks to her team about Plymouth gunning for this second crack at the Panthers, Bough said: "No. We prepare like any other match. We talk about where we should be. We don't want them worrying about the other team."
A year ago NorthWood went 30-5, but key players like Marla Yoder, Angela Hattery, Jamie Gill and Colleen Miller graduated. The Panthers returned two veterans -ÊWill and Zercher. Outside of them, Bough had inexperienced youngsters.
But here the Panthers sit at 22-10, and if they beat Plymouth, they will have advanced just as far as last year's much more heralded team. They are rolling, having won 15 of their last 17 matches.
"Someone said that I've gotten a lot of mileage out of Amy and Natalie," Bough said. "I have. They may not be the best volleyball players, but their athleticism just takes over. They give us strong blocking and hitting at the net.
"At first the other girls were counting on them too much. It took a while to develop our other players with Amy and Natalie. Now they've come on and taken the slack off of them."
1998 MISHAWAKA REGIONAL
2 p.m. Saturday at Mishawaka High School
NorthWood (22-10) vs. Plymouth (21-10)
NorthWood players -ÊAmy Zercher, senior middle hitter; Natalie Will, senior middle hitter; Kacey Chamberlin, sophomore setter; Erin Newcomer, junior setter; Sarah Harter, senior outside hitter; Jessica Yoder, sophomore outside hitter; Amy Hughes, junior front row
