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Once sectional opponents, the Warsaw and Penn volleyball teams met a round later than usual on Saturday night, facing off for the regional championship. From the first point onward, it was the Lady Kingsmen that controlled the game and the scoreboard. The end result was another regional heartbreak for the Lady Tigers, as the team fell 3-0.
It was the Lady Kingsmen that began the game with the upper hand, scoring four of the first five points of the night. Penn was able to use this early spurt to remain in front for much of the early going, consistently keeping Warsaw 3-4 points away.
The Lady Tigers kept on fighting though, preventing their opponents from running away with the opener. The team was able to get within two multiple times, but could not get over the hump. A lot of the damage was self inflicted, as four of Penn’s first 13 points came on missed Warsaw serves. Trailing 15-11, the Lady Tigers initiated the game’s first stoppage with a timeout call.
Following the break, the Lady Kingsmen remained in control of the opener, maintaining that 4-5 point edge and even extending to six at one point. The Lady Tigers battled valiently, but the closest they were able to get within was three.
After that short run, Penn had an asnwer. In the final moments of the set, the winners of the LaPorte sectional rattled off four straight points to take a seven-point lead to game point. They’d finish the first set off after Warsaw’s second timeout, going up 1-0 after a wire-to-wire 25-17 win.
The Lady Tigers took their first lead of the night on the first point of game two. Unlike the first set, this one featured a lot more back-and-forth play in the early going. Both teams took turns holding the lead, only for the other to quickly rip it away from them. With the score knotted up at 6-6, Penn went on another run to take a four-point lead, resulting in yet another quick timeout call by Warsaw.
It had been a tale of two teams up to this point. The Lady Kingsmen looked crisp and were making almost no errors in their play. Their blockers were excelling and making it difficult for the opposing hitters to get over them. On the other side, the Lady Tigers looked sluggish, letting points go by the wayside that they had gotten all season long.
Needing to go on a run and soon, Warsaw came out of the break with a noticable energy shift. Down by as many as five, an extended run by the ladies in orange tied things backed up and forced Penn to call a timeout of their own.
A point later, and Warsaw had retaken the lead with all momentum now on their side. Just 10 points earlier, it looked as if the Lady Kingsmen were going to run away with yet another set. Now, it was the Lady Tigers on the prowl.
Warsaw senior Ellie Hepler leaps into the arms of teammate Reagan Edwards after her kill during the third set...Nieter
It was the underclassmen making the difference for Warsaw up front, with sophomore Reagan Edwards and freshman Harper Setser coming up with some massive kills to keep their team in front. The inspired Warsaw side was able to counter a few punches from Penn, remaining in front each time their opponent began creeping back in.
Late in a drama-filled set, the Warsaw faithful took a moment to appreciate senior libero Ellie Hepler, who recorded her 2,000th career dig moments earlier.
The next cheers would belong to the Penn fans, as the Lady Kingsmen stormed back late to retake the lead at 22-21 to put the pressure back on the Lady Tigers. After being in control for a majority of the set, suddenly, the tables had turned in an instant. Warsaw would not retake the lead in set two, as Penn pulled off a stunning 25-22 comeback victory to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Smelling blood in the water, the Lady Kingsmen began the third set the same way they began the first: by scoring four of the first five points to put some real pressure on Warsaw incredibly early on. They didn’t stop there, going on to score seven of the first eight to really put the Lady Tigers in a bad spot.
With their backs seriously against the wall now, Warsaw was able to cut the lead in half, but the spurt was immediately answered by Penn pushing its lead right back up. Trailing 11-5, Hepler made the bold move of using up her second timeout early on to try and rally her troops one last time.
But it seemed that whatever adjustments the Lady Tigers made, their opponents were one step ahead. After creating that early lead in the beginning of the set, Penn had showed no signs of slowing down and was still up big. The closest Warsaw was able to get for the longest time was six, still well out of reach of the Lady Kingsmen.
Finally, with their opponents just seven points away from taking the match, the Lady Tigers made their move. They were able to string some points together to get within four, leading to a timeout by the black and gold.
Warsaw was able to get to within three with Penn four points away from victory. It was now or never. Three points later, it was a two-point game and both teams were out of stoppages. The tension only built from here, with each point seeming to take forever. In the end, the Lady Kingsmen were able to finish things off with a 25-21 victory, thwarting the comeback and finishing the sweep.
Warsaw will return next season.
