Russia’s Ella Phlipot comes up short on a dig attempt during Saturday’s match with Versailles. (Press Prsos Feature Photos)
In a match between old ‘friends’, Versailles and Russia both squandered momentum before Versailles broke out on top for a Saturday win.
Russia, OH – Versailles coach Liz McNeilan smiled at the latest volleyball tug-o’-war between Versailles and Russia on Saturday afternoon.
“We know each other so well, and it’s a rivalry – a good rivalry” she said after sneaking away with a 3-1 win (25-17, 27-25, 17-25, and 26-24) to improve to 4-1 after two weeks of play.
Great competition, yes, and nerve wracking with the ebb and flow of Saturday’s action.
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It could have been easier – should have been easier – but that’s what you get with volleyball, a game of runs and sudden shifts in momentum. Learn to mitigate these and you become as dependable as defending state champion New Bremen.
What McNeiland and Russia coach Aaron Watkins both concede to…is that their respective programs are in the process of figuring some things out before the heavy lifting of conference play begins. In Versailles case, Coldwater, St. Henry, and the afore-mentioned New Bremen. In Russia’s case, it’s pretty much been Fort Loramie.
Set one was competitive at 13-13 before Versailles went on one of those runs to break out to an 18-14 lead, and they did it with the serve. They were more aggressive, and more accurate. Russia struggled with serve-receive and the Raiders’ hitting errors played into a 13-4 Versailles run and an eventual 25-17 win.
Russia came alive in the second set, taking a 6-3 lead, but the point about it being a sport of runs and momentum…they traded runs and momentum all the way to 21-21. Russia enjoyed a serving spurt to take a 24-21 lead – and to the threshold of a set win.
Versailles’ Lauren Prenger sets a teammate during Saturday’s match with Russia.
But Versailles came back to tie at 24-24 when Russia again could not maintain that momentum…and watched as Versailles score three of final four points to win the set, 27-25.
For a young program like Russia, it’s easy to succumb to such frustration.
And if you’re Versailles…you want to take the momentum of the late close-out win and build upon it for a straight-set win.
That didn’t happen.
Somehow Versailles suddenly lost the mojo, Russia found it, and sprinted to a 24-12 lead, using a much better serve and Versailles’ sudden loss of aggression to close them out with 25-17 win.
Momentum Russia?
Not so fast.
What goes around, comes around. Whatever happened to Versailles after the second set suddenly loomed over Russia, which got off to a terrible start, and fell behind 19-11 in the fourth. And just when it looked like Versailles would sprint to the end, Russia righted itself to go on a 4-0 run and close the deficit to 19-15. Versailles called timeout, trying to get the mojo back, but Russia came out of the timeout with the same ‘whatever it was’ that prompted that timeout.
They tied the score at 23-23, playing defense, extending rallies, and their hitting improved, chasing the Versailles defense to all points of the court.
It will try your patience…Russia’s Aaron Watkins reacts to another change in momentum during Saturday’s match with Versailles.
Versailles responded to tie the set at 24-24…and then the Tigers’ Kiley May took a set at point-blank range and hit a thunderous kill to take a 25-24 lead. A moment later someone threaded the needle with a shot to the back line for the winning point…Versailles 26-24.
If momentum is universally recognized as a cornerstone of volleyball, then, too…so is letdown To fight that hard to get back into the match, Russia (1-3) saw it all disappear in a matter of a couple of shots, and a lack of luck.
“But I really do like this group,” smiled Aaron Watkins, later. “They’re young, they’re athletic, and they respond. Their backs were against the wall and they responded. That’s what we talked about in the locker room. We’ve had a lot of growth since last Saturday, got our first win (at Fairlawn) on Thursday, and we’re going to have some more wins down the road. We’re improving.”
Liz McNeilan, whose personality rarely has a bad day, explained the ups and downs of volleyball.
“It is a game of momentum,” she smiled. “But it doesn’t matter who the better team is when you walk into this gym. It’s a rivalry, and it’s a good rivalry. Every year it goes four or five sets, and we’ll take this one. Right now we’re working through some injuries, our offense was a little bit off today…but the girls found a way to win and I appreciate that.
Grumpy old men?…Nah, but better than Matthau and Lemmon. Russia’s Augie Cordonnier and Denny Monnin.
“We were aggressive with our serve, and I think we have to be better on our front row. But again, we’re working through some injuries, working through our setters right now, and figuring out who’s going to lead our ship.”
As for the heavy lifting to come, Russia has Anna and Jackson Center in the coming week…while Versailles come back to play Celina on Tuesday, Parkway on Thursday, and Fort Loramie next Saturday.
“Our aggressiveness from the serving line helped us win that match, 100% per cent,” said McNeilan. “Our girls were able to nail it nine times out of ten, it’s a matter of confidence, and then a matter of momentum.”
It was a good win for Versailles.
It would have been a great win for Russia.
But it’s teaching time during these early days of the season.
“We’re learning from every opportunity right now, we’ve had some injuries, but we have some girls (Reagyn Hager, at setter) who’ve stepped in and are doing a great job.
“It was a team win today, our bench was loud, our fans were loud, and we’ll take the ‘W’.
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