Published: October 25, 2009 12:16 am         

Northview rallies past North for sectional win

Knights show resilience for another 5-game victory

MARTINSVILLE — So who really got the advantage from the Class 4A Martinsville Sectional high school volleyball draw?

Northview's Knights, resilient and tournament-tough, used lessons from their first two matches to post a third consecutive five-game, come-from-behind win, overcoming Terre Haute North 21-25, 23-25, 25-10, 25-22, 15-9 Saturday night for the school’s first sectional championship since, coach Scott McDonald said, 1996.

Having to beat two teams that had already beaten them earlier this season, Plainfield and Terre Haute South, seemed like a hard way to go for the Knights when the tournament started.

But by the time the championship match began, McDonald's team knew it could overcome those odds. Thus when North — a third team to beat the Knights during the regular season — picked up close wins in the first two games, the Knights weren’t spooked at all.

And the Patriots, whose only previous sectional experience was a one-sided, three-game win over Mooresville earlier Friday, may have gotten a little careful.

“I think we attacked games one and two to win,” coach Kris Painter of North said afterward. “But then, instead of wanting to attack and wanting to play to win, we started playing not to lose.

“These girls hate to lose, but trying too hard not to lose tonight did them in.”

“I thought, 'You've got to be kidding me. Down two [games] again?' “ McDonald said in the happy throng of Northview supporters after the match. “But we didn't quit, and that shows the character of these girls and their families ... this was a win for the whole Northview volleyball community. Girls like Kyler Clark and Kaley Huffman, who helped get this thing started? This is about them too.”

Plenty of errors on both sides seemed to indicate how seriously -- and nervously -- both teams were taking the start of the championship match, but North pulled to a six-point lead in the first game with a 7-1 run. Northview rallied with six straight points, but the Patriots countered with the next four and led, semi-comfortably, the rest of the way.

The Knights had leads of 5-2 and 8-4 in the second game before North caught and passed them with another 7-1 spurt. Northview got back on top, including at 21-18, only to have the Patriots get seven of the game's last nine points.

The third game started close, but didn't stay that way long. Northview went on a 12-1 tear on service runs by Brylie Riddell and Kaylee Clark, and finished the Patriots off by getting the third game's last seven points -- four of them aces by Ali Sharton.

It was the first game lost in the tournament by the Patriots, who looked shaky. The Knights, on the other hand, seemed to be finally ready to play.

North overcame Northview's 4-0 lead in the fourth game to take leads of 8-7 and 9-8, and the score was still tied at 10. Then Clark made a spectacular dig to help the Knights get the go-ahead point, and stepped to the service line for back-to-back aces to start a six-point run.

North cut a couple of seven-point deficits to 24-22 thanks to good work from Sara Baugh and Mary Kate Etling, but couldn't get all the way back. And in the decisive fifth game, the Knights had leads of 5-1 and 12-4 before Bri Hill led a mini-rally that was snuffed when Riddell had back-to-back aces to end the match.

“I thought we showed a lot of heart at the end of game four and again at the end of game five,” Painter said later.

“I thought coming into this that if we could play smart volleyball we'd be OK,” McDonald said, “but North played so well. Kris has got them going in the right direction.'

“But we kept our composure, and maybe [the Patriots] started getting tired. Their serve reception late in the game wasn't what it was earlier.”

Northview had its usual statistical leaders, with Brittaney Long getting 20 kills, Clark 22 service points, Ashlen Buck 25 digs and Sharton and Hannah Hayes combing for 45 assists.

That wasn't a long enough list of heroes for McDonald. “Every kid down the line” made a big contribution, he indicated, paying particular attention to the work of Samantha Solomon stepping up to replace injured Alyssa Clarke.

Seniors Hill (13 kills) and Baugh (eight blocks) rose to the occasion for the Patriots, and Painter said, “All four seniors [Kelbie Drebes and Katie Behnke are the other two] had a great year. They'll be hard to replace.”

Those seniors were part of the best season in North history, Painter pointed out. “I told [the Patriots after the match], don't let this overshadow the rest of the year. This team took us where we want to be as a program, and now we've been here [playing for the sectional championship].”



Northview 21 23 25 25 15

Terre Haute North 25 25 10 22 9

Highlights — For Northview, Kaylee Clark had 16 digs, 11 kills, an assist, 22 points and 5 aces; Ali Sharton had 22 assists, 11 digs, a kill, 14 points and 4 aces; Hannah Hayes had 23 assists, 6 kills, 6 digs, 2 blocks, 6 points and 2 aces; Brittaney Long had 20 kills, 5 digs, an assist and 6 points; Brylie Riddell had 7 kills, 6 digs, 2 assists, a block, 10 points and 6 aces; Ashlen Buck had 25 digs and a point; Samantha Solomon had 4 kills, 3 blocks and 3 digs; Lizzie Emmert had 4 kills, 4 assists and a dig; and Brailyn Whitson had a dig.

For North, Laura Mauer had 35 assists, 7 kills, 5 digs, 2 blocks, 3 points and an ace; Mary Kate Etling had 12 kills, 12 digs, 3 blocks, 3 assists, 11 points and an ace; Katlyn Anderson had 13 digs, 5 kills, an assist and 3 points; Kristyn Moss had 5 digs, a kill, 15 points and an ace; Bri Hill had 13 kills, 2 blocks, 2 digs and an assist; Sara Baugh had 7 kills and 8 blocks; Katie Behnke had 4 digs, 2 assists and 6 points; Kelbie Drebes had 4 digs, an assist, 6 points and an ace; Lauren Isaacs had 3 digs; Kinzi Kiefer had a dig; and Danielle Krupa had an assist.

Next — Northview (27-9) plays Saturday at the Seymour Regional. North finished 24-6.