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Girls Volleyball: Hartley 3, Cambridge 0
Nov 06, 2009
By CORY STEGER
ThisWeek Staff Writer
GRANVILLE -- Despite missing one of its best players for more than half the match, the Hartley High School volleyball team had little trouble in defeating Cambridge 25-12, 25-21, 25-23 in a Division II regional semifinal Thursday.
The Hawks, who saw outside hitter Lauren Hughes leave during the second game with a back injury, improved to 20-6 and will play the Uhrichsville Claymont in the final Saturday. Cambridge finished its season 22-4.
"Without Lauren, we struggled a bit to be aggressive but we were able to pull it out. I think we were just too athletic for them," Hartley coach Max Miller said. "The way our girls had been playing I felt confident we were going to be able to get out of here with a 'W.'"
At first it appeared Cambridge would be up to the challenge as the Bobcats stuck with Hartley point-for-point as the first game was tied at 11. The Hawks then won the next 12 points en route to a 25-12 win.
"I think our serving helped us (in that first game)," Hartley middle hitter CharAnna Dixon said. "Sometimes you have problems serving, but I think when you serve well, you play well."
That momentum carried into the second game as the Hawks held a consistent lead on their way to a 25-21 win.
Without Hughes, Miller was forced to shuffle the lineup in the second game but it didn't appear to matter much as Brooke Betts, Madison Brake, Shelby Sagle and Reese Walaszek all recorded at least two kills in the second game.
Betts, Brake and Walaszek are freshmen and Miller said the play of that trio was critical.
"Even though we've got a lot of seniors, we're still inexperienced," Miller said. "At one point we had three freshmen on the floor, and we talk a lot about maturity. Being mature and staying composed, I think that allowed us to get out of here with a win."
"I had a little bit of nerves going in but I took a deep breath and relaxed, and that allowed to me help out the team more," Brake said.
The third game was when Hartley encountered the most resistance from Cambridge. The Hawks led 7-3 before the Bobcats rallied to tie the game at 16 and then won four of the next five points to go ahead 20-17.
With his team trailing 22-18, Miller called a timeout and the Hawks responded by outscoring Cambridge 7-1. The run was aided by two kills a piece by Brake and Walaszek, and the Hawks went on to close out the match with a 25-23 victory.
"After we called the timeout, we really focused in. Coach Miller is always telling us to separate point-by-point, and once we got the lead we executed very well," Brake said.
Sagle finished with 14 kills, Betts had nine and Brake had seven. Libero Jillian Brown added 23 digs.
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