Versailles Sarah Stammen (7) goes up against Coldwater’s Morgan Blasingame (6) at the net. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)
They weren’t as sharp as they have been, and actually lost a set for the first time, but when they needed it Coldwater turned it on to beat Versailles Tuesday night for their 13th straight.
VPP Industries helps your business grow. Let us help you deliver your message.
Versailles, OH – The headline reads…Coldwater Drops A Set…for the first time in 13 matches, and 13 consecutive wins in 2024.
But the sub-header should also read…Versailles pushes Coldwater to stay unbeaten. Because Tigers coach Liz McNeilan later stated, “This was the best we’ve played all year.”
Coldwater won Tuesday night’s MAC contest 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, and 25-16, but in truth there were nearly as many highlights in a losing effort by Versailles as there was by Coldwater in a winning one.
Versailles served spectacularly…played defense to extend rallies…got some predictable and timely hitting from their scorers…and impressively, wore Coldwater down in the final two sets.
Coldwater’s Spencer Etzler drives one over Versailles’ Katey Litten.
But just as spectacularly, trailing 14-13 in the final set, Coldwater hit the gas at just right time to go on a 12-2 run and leave no doubt about being the most dominant team in the MAC (to date), and deserving of their #1-ranking in Division VI Ohio volleyball.
“We like to get pushed sometimes,” smiled Coldwater’s Nikki Etzler. “Versailles served well, put service pressure on us, they’re a great blocking team, and they run a lot of different things with their offense. So it was a great challenge for us tonight, and for our girls to feel it and work through it…I thought it was awesome for us.”
Etzler’s Cavaliers jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first, led comfortably at the halfway point…then watched as Versailles used its serve to go on an 11-3 run to take a 13-9 lead. But out of the timeout Coldwater went on a streak of their own, closing out the set, 25-21.
Versailles was again scrappy in the second, coming back from an 11-5 deficit to close within 23-18. Then a 5-2 run by the Tigers pulled them to within a point at 24-23, before Coldwater won it, 25-23.
Midmark proudly supports your favorite area sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
It looked like Coldwater was wearing Versailles down in the third, taking a commanding 14-8 lead. But once again, coming out of a timeout Versailles found a second wind to erase that deficit and streak to a 17-16 lead. Moreover, they withstood a Coldwater challenge to tie the set at 19-19, 20-20, retook the lead at 23-20, then held on to hand the Cavaliers their first set loss all year (Max Preps) on a Kynnedi Hager kill, 25-23.
Versailles’ Sarah Stammen drives a point over the net against Coldwater.
“That was fun,” said McNeilan later. “Coldwater’s at the top for a reason, but kudos to my girls. They were ready to play, I think we played the best we’ve played all season, they weren’t scared, and we saw a lot of great things happen on our side of the net tonight.”
And it was really fun in the fourth…as Versailles fought back and forth, hit a spurt of their own to take a 14-13 lead, and force a Coldwater timeout. But as McNeilan said, they’re at the top for a reason, and they showed that within seconds of taking the floor after the timeout.
Through their serving, passing, communication, defense, and blocking, Coldwater promptly fought through some fatigue of their own to ignite an impressive 12-2 run…to win the set, and the match, 25-16.
“It’s a game of momentum,” added Etzler. “And I think fatigue comes sometimes from just your emotions and being tense, and I was proud to see the girls just relax and play. And that allowed them to have that fire [at the end].”
Versailles Rowen Schmitmeyer (21) and the masked Lauren Prenger missed this dig in the final set.
Coldwater moved to 13-0, and further secured claim to their #1 ranking.
Versailles fell to 6-6 with the loss, and has now dropped five of their last six. That said, McNeiland did see a lot of good things happen on her side of the net.
“We served well, and purposely served our zones and seams and tried to keep the ball away from some of those hitters,” she added. “Our mentality was to serve well, and maintain that serve throughout the whole night. Sometimes we serve well in set 1, not set 2, but tonight I thought we served well the entire night.
“And it was good to hit the gas pedal the way we did in set 2, we had talked about not getting too high or too low, and we remained driven and purposeful. I thought we spread out offense out tonight, and I liked our serve-receive. Coldwater was the best serve we’ve seen all season and I thought we handled it well.”
The Phelan Agency proudly sponsors coverage of MAC sports on Press Pros.
Concluding, it was way better-than-average Tuesday night volleyball for the fact that once again you saw signs of what’s to come from McNeilan and the Tigers, a program that has just two seniors.
And Coldwater? Their streak was ended, but Nikki Etzler could appreciate the kind of focus and reset she saw in how they put it behind them…to overcome a sluggish spell in sets 3 and 4, then storm to the end a winner.
Indeed, there’s a reason why they’re on top.
Even when they’re not at their best.
Versailles put up a battle against Coldwater, losing the match, but gave Coldwater its first set loss in a 3-1 contest.
Wilson Health proudly sponsors your favorite area sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.