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The fans tried to give them the home-court advantage by rattling plastic Gator-Ade bottles with eight or 10 pennies inside, but all the noise and support in the world could not will Tippecanoe Valley's volleyball team to a win over Southwood.
Southwood simply had too much talent.
Southwood, No. 4 in the Class 2A poll, won the Three Rivers Conference for the second straight year by beating Valley 15-12, 15-6. Southwood improved to 26-3 overall and 7-0 in the TRC, while Valley fell to 21-9 overall and 5-2 in the TRC. Valley finished third in the TRC, behind No. 8 (3A) Rochester (6-1).
Even with the loss, the Vikings finished with their best TRC record in school history.
"Southwood is probably the best team we've played all year, with Rochester a close second," Valley coach Jon Parker said. "We knew we had to have one of the best matches of the season to beat a team that tough. They had one injured player (senior Stephanie Tyson) tonight, but that doesn't affect them. They were ranked fourth and now will probably be ranked second after this week."
Valley honored its volleyball players on Senior Night, and at first, the emotion this night brings helped them. Thanks in part to two Jamie Doud aces, the Vikings raced ahead 5-2 in the first game. The Knights rallied to tie the game 7-7, but aided by a string of Southwood errors, the Vikings leaped ahead 11-7.
But the Knights reeled the Vikings back in, thanks to a furious finish by Brooke McKee. The Knights pulled within 12-11 then ran off four straight points to win the game, three on kills fired by McKee.
Southwood coach Tom Finicle predicted to his team before the match started Valley would be strong early.
"No question, we knew they were going to be cranked up," he said. "We knew they would play well early. Their crowd was cranked up. Rochester was here to watch, because if we would have lost, they would have gotten a share of the conference championship. We knew we had to ride the tide."
Said Parker: "We had the lead in the first game and played with a lot of enthusiasm. We lost a few serve receives, and that kind of hurt us."
The start of the second game was a continuation of the first game.
Three kills by Amy Steele, a kill by Hayley Bozarth and a few Valley errors gave Southwood the 7-0 lead. Valley got no closer than five points (9-4) the rest of the way.
"If we could have closed out the first game, it would have been a different match," Parker said. "They came out and served us hard and got ahead 5-0 the second game. You get that far behind Southwood, that's a tough uphill battle."
Doud paced Valley with five aces and six assists. Junior middle hitter Lynette Wilcox led the Vikings with five kills and four blocks. Senior Jennifer Studebaker added three kills and a block.
After Valley's 12-11 in the first game, Southwood outscored the Vikings 19-6 the rest of the night.
Early in first game Southwood was mixing in tips; by the time the second game had finished, the Knights attacked Valley with hard stuff.
"We became more aggressive," Finicle said. "We recognized they had only one blocker on the outside. Our kids took advantage of that. "They were doing a nice job of covering the tip areas. We have gotten ourselves in trouble this year when we don't attack the volleyball.
"We talked between games how they were a wounded animal. Wounded animals will fight. You have to go out and kill it. You can't kill it tipping. You have to go out and swing at it. We swung at the ball a little more."
The biggest problems for Valley were McKee and Steele, who, if given free shots, usually responded with kills.
And these free shots, Parker said, became problems.
"I thought we were in a good lineup where we had their young girl (6-foot freshman Denae Gibson) in the front row," he said. "I was happy with the rotation, but they served us well. We did not receive the ball well. What happens, we don't receive it well, and that gives a free ball to them. That won't work against Southwood. They have too many weapons coming back at you."
If Valley wins its last match of the regular season, 6 p.m. Thursday at Bremen, the Vikings will tie the school record for wins with 22 (set in 1998). Seniors Kim Carr, Inga Vandermark, Tara Baker and Studebaker told Parker Valley never could have expected this, considering where the Vikings were only a few years ago. Before 1996, Valley lost more than 40 straight TRC matches.
"I think the seniors said in junior high they won one game during one season," he said. "To come out and have a 21-win season, it's just too bad our conference is this tough."
SOUTHWOOD DEF. TIPPECANOE VALLEY 15-12,15-6
TV stats leaders
Assists - Jamie Doud 6
Aces -ÊDoud 5, Lacey Stump 1
Service points -ÊDoud 9, Stump 3
Kills - Lynette Wilcox 5, Kyleigh Gast 2, Jennifer Studebaker 1
Blocks -ÊWilcox 4, Studebaker 3
Records - Southwood 26-3, 7-0 TRC; Tippecanoe Valley 21-9, 5-2 TRC
JV: SOUTHWOOD DEF. TIPPECANOE VALLEY 15-5, 15-4
TV JV record - 15-16
