Valley Spikers Down Rival ManchesterAKRON – Aggression versus injury.
The Tippecanoe Valley volleyball team was assertive offensively to pull out a 3-0 Three Rivers Conference win over an injury-depleted Manchester squad Thursday.
“Scared play doesn’t win games, and I thought my setters did a nice job of moving the ball around,” said Valley coach Mallory Eaton. “We just picked apart their defense a little bit, and my kids just swing.”
The hosts won 25-17, 25-10, 25-15.
The match was hotly contested at the jump.
The Lady Vikings (12-7, 3-2 TRC) had multiple service errors and traded the lead seven times with the Lady Squires (10-8, 3-2 TRC) in the opener.
However, Valley gained a 17-16 lead on the strength of Sophie Bussard’s serving and never trailed again.
Eaton blamed Valley’s early errors on adrenaline.
“The kids get jacked up,” Eaton said. “They’re excited, but then it turns into a few mistakes, so once we settled in we really just took off and just kept that pace the whole time.”
As the Lady Vikings got comfortable, they took advantage of a Manchester front line that was missing its two top middle hitters.
Kyrsten Eakright is out with an ankle sprain, and Manchester coach Melissa West said she will likely be out for the season.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie Day was out with the flu.
“We knew coming in we would be overmatched,” West said. “We’re not a big team and when two of our three tallest girls are out, it left us with no block.”
Valley breezed through the second game, and was up 18-3 in Game 3 when Eaton put in several substitutes.
“It was just a change, but we had such a good lead that I’m like, ‘Let’s take that risk,’” Eaton said.
Manchester outscored Valley 12-6 before the Lady Vikings closed out the match.
“My goal for the team was, just fight,” West said. “Make them earn the win. Don’t roll over. There were points in time where I felt like we did a good job of fighting, hustling.”
TIPPECANOE VALLEY def. MANCHESTER 25-17, 25-10, 25-15
Valley leaders – Sophie Bussard 13 kills, 15 digs, 3 aces, 2 blocks; Sarah Myers 12 assists.
Records: Tippecanoe Valley 11-7, 4-1 TRC; Manchester 10-8, 3-2 TRC
