Morgan Blasingame delivers one of 21 kills past the reach of New Brmen’s Lydia Bushman. (Press Pros Feature Photo by Julie McMaken Wright)
In a clash of the #1 and #2 teams in state Division VI, Coldwater left little to doubt about its #1 ranking, crushing #2 New Bremen in straight sets.
Coldwater, OH – For all the anticipation…for all the hype about #1 playing #2 this late in the season…and for the sake of big partisan crowds there to see it…Tuesday night’s clash between Coldwater and four-time state champion New Bremen turned out to be, well, kinda’ lopsided. And yet, eye-opening about the game of volleyball.
Coldwater, attacking from the outset, beat the defending Division IV champs in straight sets, 25-12, 25-13, and 25-21, leaving little doubt among area Division VI contenders that the road to Fairborn in four weeks would necessitate a trip through Coldwater, figuratively, if not literally.
The Cavaliers were simply better in every phase of the game. And on a night where Cavalier senior Spencer Etzler was recognized for earning high school All-American recognition, the Cavaliers, collectively, earned public praise afterwards from New Bremen coach Diana Kramer.
“They were fabulous,” she began. “They dug every ball. They kept us on our heels. They served well and played with a lot of confidence and energy.”
Ironic, because from the outset New Bremen, with their four state titles and two runners-ups, did not. Nerves perhaps, but the Cardinals just didn’t play like they believed they were as good as they are.
“I think that had a lot to do with it,” added Kramer. “Confidence and how you start a big-time game means a lot. And I thought we had our best warmup of the season. I’m a very confident person…confident that we were going to come into tonight and take care of this match. But it didn’t go our way. And anyone who knows volleyball knows that there are nights when things aren’t going to go your way.”
Coldwater’s Spencer Etzler tips a point in front of the watchful eye of official Steve Trout. (Julie McMaken Wright Photo)
After a 3-3 start in the first set, Coldwater went on a 5-0 run, which became an 11-2 run, then a 14-5 run and an eventual 25-12 win. The Cavaliers’ serve, as Kramer mentioned was, was everything it needed to be, and senior Morgan Blasingame had one of her best hitting nights of the year, eventually collecting 21 kills for the match.
Hoping to shake their poor start, New Bremen found the start of the second set to be an endless loop…something resembling the first set. Coldwater started out 7-1, improved that to 11-4, then 16-6…as it really turned up the pressure on defense. They blocked defiantly, dug every shot that New Bremen could manage over the net, and played with that confidence that Kramer confessed was necessary. The tale of the match can be summed up in these short words…they played the way New Bremen wanted to play…winning 25-13.
As it happens so often, the game is one of momentum and the Cardinals found some of that missing confidence in the third set. They battled back and forth to a 13-13 tie, then 16-16, but could not get over the hump, or collect enough momentum to give them a lead – traction. At 17-17 Coldwater and Blasingame went on a 4-0 run, while teammate Spencer Etzler literally scraped shot after New Bremen shot off the court and kept it airborne, extending rallies until Coldwater could turn it into a point. It was too much…the Cavaliers using an 8-4 spurt to close out the set, and the match, 25-21.
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Afterwards, Morgan Blasingame was quick to return in kind the kind of respect and admiration expressed by Diana Kramer.
“They’re a great team, and it’s fun to play like we played tonight against a team like New Bremen,” she said. “It was a great atmosphere, you want to play your best. And if you can stay strong in your mind and your true belief about yourself I think you’ll have no worry over that.
Nothing came easy for Keira Steininger (above)…and New Bremen.
“To play an amazing team like that, especially for the stakes that this match represented…another great MAC team…it was incredible.”
Extending their record now to a perfect 21-0, Coldwater impressively has lost just one set in 64 played through those 21 wins…to Versailles, three weeks ago. And if peaking at the right time is that big a deal, Cavalier coach Nikki Etzler was beaming afterwards about having seen everything she wanted to see…against a great champion like New Bremen.
“This team plays for each other,” she said. “And as a coaching staff it’s great to see them work that hard to give each other opportunities to do the great things that they can do.
“And we’re so fortunate to have great teams like New Bremen, St. Henry, Fort Loramie and Marion Local to play before the tournament because it tests you, exposes your weaknesses, and makes you want to get in the gym and try to get better.”
There was no disagreement, just a confident smile, over the obvious…that her team had hit on all cylinders in such an impressive win – serve, hitting, blocking and defensive effort.
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“These are all things that we’ve been working on in practice,” she added. “They’re huge game-changers for what we can do on our side of the net. You have to be locked in on every point, and that’s respect for a great program like New Bremen and what Diana has done.”
Both Coldwater and New Bremen earned #1 seeds in last weekend’s tournament drawing, as Coldwater still seeks that first volleyball title to augment the rich tradition established by their other sports, principally football, baseball, and bowling.
Spencer Etzler eyes a dig after scraping a New Bremen shot off the floor.
And can a loss like Tuesday’s create doubt and a blow to the confidence of a champion like New Bremen?
“Let me give you some perspective,” said Diana Kramer before boarding the bus for home. “And this comes courtesy of my seven-year-old daughter, Savannah. She came to me after the match, almost with tears in her eyes, and said two things…and this is what I told my team in the locker room.
“Number one, she said, ‘Love you, Mommy.'”
And number two, she said, “Do we still get to play volleyball?”
“So everyone might think that I’m upset, and I am disappointed that we lost…but I still love my team because I know we’re better than how we played tonight. Everybody knows that. Coldwater played great, and every night isn’t your night.
“So I answered her question this way. Yes, I still love my team. And yes, we still get to play volleyball.”
And little doubt…that they will.
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