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Looking to both bounce back after a straight-set loss to Fort Wayne Carroll on Tuesday as well as send the seniors off with a victory on Senior Night, the Warsaw volleyball team looked like a well-oiled machine on Thursday night, using 22 aces to lead the way and cruising to a 3-0 win over Wawasee to remain undefeated in the Northern Lakes Conference.
“Our seniors want to win their fourth straight NLC title. This group has been the heartbeat of our program for the last four years,” Warsaw head coach Chandra Hepler said. “This group of girls is special and they’ve set such a good example for our underclassmen going forward.”
Play was a bit sloppy to begin the match, as four of the first five points of the game were scored on errant serves. After going back and forth for the first few points, it wasn’t long before the Lady Tigers began to separate from their opponent. Middle blocker Cassandra Jackson made her presence felt in the early going with a pair of massive kills as Warsaw jumped in front.
She wasn’t the only one getting involved on offense. CeCe Goode, Maddie Williamson and Reagan Edwards all led the way as the Lady Tigers were able to maintain a consistent five-point lead.
“We really wanted to get our middles involved after Tuesday’s game and I thought Reagan and Cassie were both up to the challenge tonight,” Hepler said. “When those two are playing well and contributing, we’re tough to stop.”
It stayed that way until later in the set, until another extended run by the home side began to break things open. Back-to-back aces by Avary Hoeppner extended her team’s lead to nine.
Late in the set, another ace, this time by Madison Branam, extended the lead to double digits for the first time. A couple points later, another ace for Branam finished off a 25-13 set one victory. This game moments after Hoeppner, most known for her passing game, went up and got a big time kill, much to the delight of her teammates.
The Lady Warriors took their first lead of the night early into the second set with a 2-1 advantage, and another one moments later at 5-4. Upon jumping in front the second time, Wawasaee would actually hold the home side at bay for a few points and stay there. Eventually, the Lady Tigers would start churning out the points once more, jumping back up in front and extending their lead to four-points in a flash.
It didn’t take long for Warsaw to flex its muscles once again and open things up. A pair of aces by Goode made it a 10-point game once again with Warsaw needing just seven more points to finish the job. The outstanding serving continued for the Lady Tigers as Goode added two more aces as the run continued.
Wawasee sophomore Zaiyla Shortill stretches for a kill as Reagan Edwards of Warsaw attempts a block...Nieter
Jaycie Stockman also got involved during this stretch, adding two kills to extend the run. The Lady Warriors finished the second set strongly to make the final score a bit more respectable, but it was not enough. A kill by Williamson was the final point as Warsaw took a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match with a 25-12 win.
Three straight aces by Hadley Allen to begin the third set allowed Wawasee to take an early lead. It didn’t last long though, as a pair of big kills by Edwards and Harper Setser allowed the home side to retake the lead. The Lady Warriors continued to put up a fight in the early going of the set, but each time it looked as if the visitors might be putting something together, the home side would stop it in its tracks.
Three straight aces by Lexy Whittenberger extended the lead to five for Warsaw, its largest of the set thus far. The Lady Tigers didn’t stop there, as soon the lead had been extended to seven and any thoughts of a Wawasee comeback had gone out the door.
The run continued to get longer and longer, with the lead now up to 14 and the home side needing just three points to clinch the victory. It didn’t take long for them to get those points, as just a few minutes later, Warsaw had wrapped things up with a 25-11 win.
Of the 22 aces, Goode led the way with seven of them. She also posted a team-high 10 kills. Ellie Hepler had seven digs to lead the team, while Hoeppner and Branam each had 13 assists.
Warsaw (19-4, 5-0 NLC) will compete in their home invitational on Saturday. Wawasee (3-18, 1-3 NLC) is at the Bremen Invite.
“It’ll be a great test for us before the sectionals get going. We’ve got Fishers coming in for the first time. It’ll be a good chance for us to work on some things before that final push,” Hepler said.
