SOUTH WHITLEY - Whitko High School's varsity volleyball team is feeling pretty good after winning back-to-back matches.
After winning by a three-game sweep at Churubusco Monday, the Lady Wildcats came back and won a five-game match (25-19, 25-19, 24-26, 24-26, 15-12) over Wawasee Tuesday in South Whitley."We're still not where we want to be and need to be," Whitko coach Doug West said about his 4-13 team. "We're certainly happy to win a five-game match. You have to do that to advance in the tournament and you have to do that to have a good record in your season."
After using a 14-1 run to win the second game, it appeared Whitko may be primed to sweep the visiting Lady Warriors (10-17), but Wawasee found a way to make a match of it.
"We've had the ability to come back all season," Wawasee coach Amy Miller said. "That showed in the third and fourth games. It's just finishing it. Execution of the ball and getting the pass."
In the third and fourth games, the teams battled back-and-forth, but Wawasee had a little more than Whitko, which held a 23-21 lead in the third and a 24-23 advantage in the fourth before succumbing each time.
"If we could close out those 24-26 games, that's where we want to be," West said. "Where we're closing those out, shutting the door and not allowing a team to get that momentum like Wawasee did.
"We're trying to learn how to play relaxed, confident and proactive in the last five points of each game," he added.
Whitko was led by senior Rachelle Kessie's 16 kills and four blocks, while senior Danielle Rose also had a complete match with 20 digs, three kills and three aces.
Whitko junior Karissa Olinske finished with nine kills and 17 digs, and West was also pleased with his senior libero Stephanie Camden, who led the team with 24 digs.
"She's on the court five rotations out of six," West said about Camden, who also had three aces. "We're just thrilled to have her. She's a great leader and just a good ball-handler. She's a nice player for us."
Wawasee's top player was Andi Banghart, who led the team with 12 assists and five aces to go with her five kills, but she wasn't the only one who performed well.
Junior Amanda Cantu and junior Haley Hawkins each used their length to get five blocks, while shorter senior Aly Walbridge led the team with 10 kills.
"Aly Walbridge does a good job of putting the ball away, however she has to do it," Miller said. "She had some big blocks on her and she's only 5-foot-4, 5-5. She does a good job of placement, so she came through when we needed it."
Both teams are in action Thursday, as Whitko travels to Fort Wayne Canterbury and Wawasee hosts the Class 4A, third-ranked Elkhart Memorial Crimson Chargers.
