LIGONIER — The Wawasee volleyball team defeated Tippecanoe Valley in the opening match of the season, but the favor was returned Thursday in the first round of Class 3A Sectional 21 at West Noble High School. After dropping the opening game 25-11, the Tippecanoe Valley Lady Vikings (10-16) came back to take three of the next four against the Wawasee Lady Warriors (14-18), advancing to Saturday's 11 a.m. semifinal against No. 8 Fairfield. "When we started out, I think they were just scared, nervous," Valley coach Abby Turner said. "In the second game, we came out and totally changed the tables. We played our game, played hard, and I think that gave us the momentum." Following the lopsided loss in Game 1, Valley came back to win the second 25-13, as well as the third 25-23, before dropping the fourth 25-17. Tied at 2-2 going into the decisive fifth game, Wawasee actually had five match-points, holding a 14-11 lead, but following a net violation, Valley reeled off the next four points to take the game and the match at 16-14. "In the fifth game, we called a timeout when we were down 12-7, so I told them, 'The last time we played Wawasee, we played not to lose. This could be your last game, so lay it all out on the line.' That's what they did," Turner said. The net violation really seemed to sway the flow of the game, as it went from the Lady Warriors awaiting a celebration to wondering what was going on. "It doesn't take a long time for those bounces to happen," Wawasee coach Jeff Phillips said. "Then, kids look up and say, 'What happened coach?' And nothing happened. There was no strategy about switching this or doing something about that. We just didn't get it done." Along with the bounces going the wrong way, Phillips also credited Tippecanoe Valley senior Megan Bibler with turning the Lady Vikings' fortunes around. "I think the key for Tippy Valley is Megan Bibler," Phillips said. "She's a player on their team who's gone through all kinds of coaching changes and she's stuck it out for them. I know, for sure, she's wasn't nervous when she went back to serve their in the fifth game." Along with closing out the match with her service game, Bibler also led the Lady Vikings with 26 digs and four aces. Valley freshman Caylie Teel also posted four aces, while also recording nine kills and three blocks. Other leaders for the Lady Vikings were Kelsey Ball, who also had nine kills and three blocks, and sophomore Kelsey Eckert posted 32 assists. For the Lady Warriors, senior Sydney Miller, junior Anne Beer and sophomore Kaitlin Goines each had nine kills, while freshman Alli Ousley had six aces and 23 assists, and senior Gabi Routson posted 33 digs. After getting their season off to a 11-10 start, the Lady Warriors went 3-8 down the stretch after losing sophomore Lydia Katsaropoulos to an ankle injury on Sept. 22 at Warsaw. "I think it actually helped us, and I think it helped us for the future even more," Phillips said about playing without his team's top attacker. "There were a lot of younger players who got into the lineup and got varsity experience. They got a sectional game under their belts, where they went five games. So, I think it actually gives us an advantage going into next season." Now, Valley gets the competition level ratcheted up a few notches Saturday against the eighth-ranked Fairfield Falcons, but Turner is ready for the challenge. "Tempo is going to be up a lot," she said. "We're going to watch this (Fairfield/West Noble) and see what we need to work on (today)."
TIPPECANOE VALLEY DEF. WAWASEE 11-25, 25-13, 25-23, 17-25, 16-14 Kills — Kelsey Ball (TV) 9, Caylie Teel (TV) 9, Kaitlin Goines (W) 9, Anne Beer (W) 9, Sydney Miller (W) 9, Sara Alexander (TV) 8, Courtney Newsome (TV) 6; Blocks — Teel (TV) 3, Ball (TV) 3, Alexander (TV) 2, Goines (W) 3; Digs — Gabi Routson (W) 33, Megan Bibler (TV) 26, Beer (W) 21, Danielle Adams (TV) 15, Ball (TV) 15, Teel (TV) 12, Conner Fraser (TV) 8, Staci Groom (TV) 7; Aces — Alli Ousley (W) 6, Taylor Spangle (W) 5, Bibler (TV) 4, Teel (TV) 4; Assists — Kelsey Eckert (TV) 32, Ousley (W) 23, Megan Conley (W) 9; Records — Valley 10-16, Wawasee 14-18
