Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Beginning the volleyball season against each other for fourth season in a row, cross-county rivals Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee met in Akron on Tuesday night to kick start the campaign. The Lady Vikings began the match strong and used that momentum to propel themselves to a 3-1 victory.
The Lady Vikings got off to a red-hot start in this one, scoring the first three points of the match before the visitors were able to settle in and go on a run of their own. With the normal wear and tear of a season not yet present in this early battle, the rallies were long and each point felt like a war as both teams tried to inch ahead in the stalemate.
Eventually, Valley was able to replicate what made it so successful in the early going, opening up a six-point lead at 11-5. As the home side came closer and closer to reaching the 25-point threshold, that advantage stayed large. At one point, the lead grew to eight after an incredible dig by Betty Shepherd gave a huge point to the Lady Vikings that kept momentum on their side.
An ace by Gaby Gonzalez kept it rolling for Valley as soon, it was a 10-point affair. The closest the Lady Warriors were able to get within was nine in the closing moments as the home team cruised to a 25-15 set one win on a kill by Kinley Crabb.
Things started off highly contested in the early goings of the second set, but while Wawasee was able to remain close, the team was still unable to jump ahead for their first lead of the game. That being said, the visitors were playing much better than they did in the first set, and were able to stick tight to the Lady Vikings as each side accumulated points.
Finally, at 10-9 in the second set, the Lady Warriors jumped in front for the first time. It didn’t last long, as only a couple of points later, the home side was back in the lead. As it continued, this set continued to be entirely different than the first. While Valley remained in front for most of it, the largest lead the team was able to aqcuire was two points. More often than not, the two teams were tied, and it was anyone’s set to win.
With the game hanging in the balance, it was the Lady Warriors that took advantage. An ace by Jadyn Klenke made it a three-point lead for the visitors, and it wasn’t long after that Valley was calling for timeout.
Wawasee sophome Jadyn Klenke dives for a dig during Tuesday night's match at Tippecanoe Valley...Nieter
The break in action reignited the fire in the Lady Vikings, as an extended rally by the home side led to a total reversal of fortunes with the home side now up by a point and the visitors scrambling for answers and calling time.
The quick intermission did not pay dividends for Wawasee as it did for their opponent, as an ace by Autumn Parker made it a two-point lead late in the set. It didn’t take long for a Shepherd kill to finish the job on a 25-22 win to give the home side a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Perhaps smelling a bit of blood in the water, the Lady Vikings got off to another hot start to begin the third set before the Lady Warriors were able to play catch up once again. Not wanting the match to end just yet, the intensity for Wawasee was off the charts. Each point was a battle, similar to the early stages of the first set of the night.
In what was another back-and-forth affair, the visitors led by two around the midway point of the set. While they did their best to hold off the relentless Valley attack, the home team soon saw themselves ahead once again. The game was far from over though, and things remained tight as the climb up the scoreboard carried on.
The visitors were able to retake the lead in the late stages of the set, setting things up for another thrilling finish. Trailing by three at 22-19, Valley was able to stage another miraculous comeback and tie things up. A point later, they had taken the lead. Unlike the second set, Wawasee was able to stop the bleeding this time around and rallied to take the set 25-23 and stay alive.
Not wanting to delay things any further, the Lady Vikings came out firing on all cylinders to begin the fourth set, going up 12-4 early. A timeout called by the visitors didn’t do much in terms of damage control, and Valley continued to cruise. The outcome of this set was never in doubt for long as Valley went on to win it 25-19 to win the match.
The Lady Vikings (1-0) are at Plymouth Wednesday while Wawasee (0-1) hosts Fairfield Thursday.
