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Tiger Cubs move back to .500 with win over Eagles
There was a lot on the line Tuesday night at South Putnam. The Eagles hosted county rival, Greencastle in volleyball match with the Putnam County ‘Paddle’ on the line for bragging rights in the county and the fact that it was Western Indiana Conference matchup.
The emotional contest saw the Tiger Cubs retain the paddle with a four-set victory, 25-16, 25-15, 23-25, 25-20. Constant service pressure from the Cubs forced the Eagles into a defensive mode and allowed the Greencastle hitters opportunities. Greencastle capitalized on those chances to improve their record to 9-9 and 3-4 in conference play. South dropped to 8-8 and 3-3 in WIC action.
“Service pressure was one of our goals. Push that service pressure, more aces than errors. The last time we played them it was the opposite,” Greencastle head coach Denise Meyer said of defeating the Eagles for the second time this year.
The Cubs had 18 aces in comparison to just six service errors in the contest and that pressure put the Eagles behind all night long.
“They (Greencastle) came with aggressiveness and we didn’t. We just didn’t have that extra ‘oomph’ offensively. Their serves were tough on us,” South Putnam head coach Ellen Cash said.
The Eagles picked up the first two points of the opening set, but Greencastle reeled off seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead and would not allow the Eagles to get any closer than two points the rest of the contest. Greencastle would relentlessly attack the net and picked up contributions from everywhere during the set. Freshman Keely Amis had some early points, Madi Plew had a vicious kill midway through the match to excite the crowd and Kylee Owens came up big with two kills and a block in the last part of the match, including the winning kill. Greencastle finished the set on an 8-0 run and in a sport that momentum is key, that played well for the Cubs heading into the second set.
Greencastle opened the second set with a 4-0 run and then really got hot. A 15-4 run put them in command as Meilani York picked up three aces and Plew was ever present for several kills as the Eagles were forced to call two timeouts to try and stem the momentum. Finally, the Eagles put something together. Down 19-5, South got kills from Emmalyn Jeter, Olivia Woolums and Taylor Hartley to cut the Cub lead to 22-14, but couldn’t sustain as York was able end the contest with another ace, 25-15 and a 2-0 lead.
“We won the second set, but they (South) got the momentum. In this game that is key and they kept it,” Meyer said.
The Eagle momentum was on display as they led early in the third set behind Hartley at the net. Her kill followed by her ace gave the Eagles a 9-4 lead early on.
“She (Hartley) really played well tonight,” Cash said.
Maddie Landry got the Cubs back in the contest with a pair of aces, but a great save by Harley and big block by Jeter kept the Eagles in front. Greencastle would again rally and even take a lead late in the contest, but the Eagles had Joscelyn Pilcher and Jeter pick up points late and South was able to pick up the victory, 25-23, to force a fourth set.
“They (South) have so much defense, they are scrappy. That is who they identify as a team. I appreciate that, but don’t like playing against it. They never die,” Meyer said.
Greencastle took an early three-point lead in the fourth set, but the Eagles battled back and the contest stayed tight throughout and was tied at 19-all before Caroline Gooch put a kill shot on the Eagles between Allie Landry’s pair of aces and Gooch finishing with two kills, the Cubs escaped with the 25-20 win and the 3-1 match win.
“We like her,” Meyer said somewhat facetiously about her senior hitter. “Caroline Gooch is just a great kid, first of all. She is a great team player and a fierce competitor.’
The Cubs will play again on Thursday night as they host Monrovia, while the Eagles will travel to Northview in another conference match.
“These are the games you really want to win. Our girls were a little nervous as they thought they had something to prove. We started off shaky and their (Greencastle) serves got to us,” Cash said summing up the contest.