GHS volleyball loses in four games to hot Monrovia squad

MONROVIA -- Greencastle couldn't overcome a slow start Thursday, losing to Monrovia 25-20, 25-11, 17-25, 25-21 in a West Central Conference volleyball match at Branch McCracken Memorial Gym.

"We're just very inconsistent," Tiger Cubs' coach Liz Spencer said. "There's really no excuse for not having energy at the start. We weren't mentally ready to play. We lack confidence and we don't believe we can do it."

Greencastle played very competitively in the third and fourth games, coming within three points of forcing a fifth game.

"Greencastle came out with so much fire in the third game," Monrovia coach Celina Clements said. "They came out determined and we came out lazy. We were overconfident after the first two games."

The Tiger Cubs jumped out to an 11-4 advantage and the Bulldogs never got closer than three points from there. Greencastle closed out the game with a 5-1 run.

The fourth game could have gone either way.

"It was a toss-up," Spencer said. Added Clements: "We were back and forth the entire game."

The lead in the fourth game exchanged teams four times. It was last tied at 20-20.

Monrovia scored the next three points, two on aces by the jump-serving Mikah Sizemore.

Back-to-back blocks by Victoria Evans left Greencastle down by one, 23-22.

After an extended point, the ball clearing the net many times, Monrovia scored on Shelby Rickelman's kill.

It broke Greencastle's momentum and Rickelman scored the match's final point on a kill.

Greencastle has one win this year, but has played several five-set matches.

And in Monrovia, the Tiger Cubs were playing one of the WCC's hottest teams. The Bulldogs have won three straight in the WCC and four out of their last five.

"We need to learn how to win," Spencer said.

Rayleigh Amis led Greencastle with five kills and Shelby Earl had four kills. Ellen Gobert had 20 assists, Kara Birt nine digs and Jessi Covert eight digs for the Tiger Cubs.