SYRACUSE - Wawasee is looking to replace its setter-attacker combo, but Tippecanoe Valley returns its all-time school leader in assists, as well as its all-time leader in kills.
Based on that, it's easy to see how Valley opened its season with a four-game win at Wawasee Tuesday, 27-25, 25-22, 14-25, 25-10.
"Our chemistry isn't quite where I want it to be," Wawasee coach Amy Miller said. "We're getting better at the net, but we have a lot of youth in the frontcourt."
That youth is looking to replace the graduated Krista Spearman and her source of many feeds, Kindra Wright.
On the other side of the net, Valley pretty much returns last year's squad, including all-time assists leader Karla Vogel and all-time kills leader Stacie Hoffman.
Against Wawasee, Hoffman finished with a match-high 19 kills, while Vogel posted a match-high 26 kills.
"All five of my seniors are excellent leaders," Valley coach Jennifer Phillips said of Vogel and Hoffman, including Chelsea Bibler, RaeAnne Carpenter and Breanna Parker. "Among the five of them, they spent hundreds of hours in the gym this summer. I couldn't ask for a better senior leaders. They're just amazing."
In the opening game, Wawasee's inexperience against Valley's experience seemed like a pretty even match, as the two teams went tit-for-tat through 21 points, with Wawasee leading 11-10. From that point, Valley reeled off six-straight points, only to see Wawasee score seven of the next eight, nabbing the lead back at 18-17. After trading points, Valley eventually took the game by scoring the final three, resulting in a 27-25 win.
Playing against a squad with so many returning players, it was a bit of a surprise to see Wawasee push Valley to extra points in each team's opening match of the season, but Phillips wasn't too surprised.
Because of injuries to a number of Valley girls this summer, including a fractured back for Vogel, and a similar injury, though not as severe, to Bibler.
"This is really the first time we've played a match together, as a unit," Phillips said. "Obviously, we have a lot to work on. Hopefully, we can do that tomorrow and be a little better on Thursday (at Central Noble)."
Just as they did in the opening game, the Wawasee Warriors did again in the second, hanging point for point with Valley, taking a 20-19 lead. After getting the lead, Wawasee quickly relinquished it, surrendering five-straight points, leading to the 25-22 defeat.
"I was happy with the first two games," Miller said. "They were really tight."
Wawasee finally came through in the third game, staving off elimination by never letting Valley into the game, taking it 25-14 victory.
In the game win, Wawasee received points all around, as junior Ali Herdrich scored three of her team-high nine kills in the game, while junior Adrienne Drook and sophomore Haley Windle each had two.
In the game loss, Valley committed eight unforced errors, a trend Phillips doesn't expect will continue.
"They were just nervous," Phillips said. "I know they want to do so well, and they don't want to disappoint themselves or their teammates."
There wasn't too much disappointment for the Vikings in the fourth game.
After jumping out to a 7-2 lead, the Vikings never let the Warriors into it, cruising to the 25-10 victory, taking the match in the process.
"In the last game, we died," Miller said. "We were tired. I could see it. The passers weren't putting the ball where it needed to go.
"We lost our energy, so we need to condition," she added.
If the Warriors weren't getting physically tired, then they were surely tired of seeing Hoffman at the net, as she posted eight kills in the deciding game, including the match point.
"The fourth game, I wasn't happy about at all," Miller said. "But I'm going to try to keep things light this year. I want to keep encouraging these kids. They have a lot of heart and soul - more than I've had in the past. If I get them rolling, we're going to do good things."
In the opening match of the year, Wawasee was led by sophomore Andi Banghart in assists (13), junior Hannah Rozow in digs (18) and junior Adrienne Drook in blocks (4). Valley received three blocks from sophomore Chelsea Hoffman and 15 digs from Parker.
While Valley is at Central Noble Thursday, Wawasee will be at Fairfield. Both junior varsity matches begin at 6 p.m.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY DEF. WAWASEE 27-25, 25-22, 14-25, 25-10
Kills - Stacie Hoffman (TV) 19, Ali Herdrich (W) 9, Chelsea Hoffman (TV) 6
Blocks - Adrienne Drook (W) 4, C. Hoffman (TV) 3, Karla Vogel (TV) 2.5
