Tigresses looking to recapture some postseason magic
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| LaMoille/Ohio libero Raenn Coughlin and the Lady Lions will do battle in the Somonauk Regional. (BCR photo/Chris Yucus) |
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It was a year ago, when Princeton came into the postseason scuffling with a 23-9-2 record and showing little signs of life.
Andy Puck’s Tigresses caught fire at the right time, pulling together as a team when they needed to most, upsetting NCIC Lincoln champ IVC in the semifinals and then Hall on its home court for the regional championship.
That served as a springboard to state as the Tigresses beat Peoria Christian and Rockridge in the Bureau Valley Sectional and Wilmington in the Princeton Supersectional.
The question is: can they do it again? Can they recapture the postseason magic?
“Yes, we can. We honestly can. If we play well, our kids control their own destiny,” PHS coach Andy Puck said. “I’ve seen us play extremely high, and seen them play extremely low. We don’t have a lot of gray area; it’s either black or white. My job is to get them physically and mentally prepared for (Thursday) night.”
The Tigresses will get their chance in this week’s regionals at Bureau Valley, first facing the host Storm, in a tough regional field including Mendota and Three Rivers champ Port Byron Riverdale.
Hall has been shifted south for the postseason to the Fieldcrest Regional where they draw St. Bede. Chillicothe IVC is the heavy favorite.
DePue (Midland) and La-Moille/Ohio (Somonauk) will be playing in 1A regionals.
There is a lot of sickness going around at most schools, so it could come down to who is the healthiest this week. Hall coach Dani Zellmer said some of her girls still have some sore arms as a result of their HINI flu shots this week.
2A regionals
At Bureau Valley: Repeating as regional champs won’t be easy for Princeton or Mendota, which beat Bureau Valley in last year’s finals, with Three Rivers champ Riverdale and the host Storm (20-10) around. There will be four 20-win teams on the floor for Thursday’s semis, which BV coach Vicki Litherland said makes it probably the toughest regional in the state at class 2A.
“Thursday night’s volleyball is going to be some great volleyball. Volleyball won’t get any better than it’s going to be in the Bureau Valley gym Thursday night,” Litherland said.
“You throw four teams into one regional that have over 20 wins, anything’s possible,” Puck said. “Riverdale’s a 4 seed, but as far as I’m concerned, they’re a No. 1.”
Puck admits it hasn’t always been a smooth ride this season, but banks on the postseason experience of seniors Molly Stephens (first team all-conference), Slyvie Tracy, Sarah Maynard and Jacquie Kane to help pull through the tough regional field.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride for us the whole season,” Puck said. “I tell them they’ve been here before, just trust me, we’re going to be all right, hang on, enjoy the ride, it’s going to be fun.”
For Storm coach Vicki Litherland, whose team has had a nine-day layoff since its last match on Oct. 20 with Fulton, a rematch against Princeton will be a chance for both squads to see how far they’ve come.
“I think it will be a nice show of the teams, and what’s happened over two and half months of practice and play. We opened with them, and now we’re going into the season finale with them too,” Litherland said.
“We’re excited, the Bureau Valley Storm camp is pretty excited about having the chance to play a good ball club, and we’ll see Thursday night what we’re made of.”
At Fieldcrest: Ask St. Bede coach Dawn Williams about her regional showdown with Hall and she can’t curb her enthusiasm.
“I’m real excited to play Hall. It will be a great match-up. I know Hall will be ready to play, and we’ll definitely come out ready to play,” she said.
The St. Bede coach just has to make sure her Lady Bruins keep on an even keel as they approach the semifinal showdown with their next door neighbors.
“We have to stay calm and do what we do and try not to play outside of our ability levels. I told them they’ve got to do what got you here,” she said. “We’ve had success this season, but we want to get over that hump (first match) and get to the next level.”
What Williams is most excited about is having all her players together at the same time as her “A” team has been together just three matches this year. Kelsey Moracvic has returned from a nasty ankle sprain in the first match of the season and Hailee Brayton and Bethany Stravakis missed time with the flu.
“This is the team I’ve been wanting to run with all season,” Williams said. “This full crew hasn’t been tested at a high level yet.”
Hall (10-24) has played better of late for first-year coach Dani Zellmer, who had the dubious honor of following the highly successfully coach Demi Salazar. They are led by all-conference pick Mickey Victor and seniors Katelyn Raineri, Christina Richardson, junior Brigitte Klein and sophomore Kelle Nett.
The Lady Devils won at Princeton Oct. 15, but then went to Kewanee and lost the first set to the Boilermakers which finished 0-10 in the conference.
“They’re coming around. There’s only so much I can do. It’s up to them to be ready when they get on the court. They seemed to be ready and pumped up,” Zellmer said.
Zellmer who is making her coaching debut in the postseason, said she can share some of her experience playing for Salazar’s Sweet 16 team at PC, with her girls.
“As long as you go out on the floor and leave absolutely everything out there, you’re going to do just fine, and hopefully get a win out of it,” she said.
Williams gave her team the night off from practice Tuesday, taking time for a team meeting to go over their game plan. They’ve had a hard time finding court space with the set up for the St. Bede rummage sale and have practiced at Dimmick School when they can.
“I told the girls this is God’s way of telling us we needed a night off anyway,” she said.
1A Regionals
At Somonauk: The LaMoille/Ohio Lady Lions (5-22) square off against Little Ten rival Indian Creek, whom they have lost twice to this season, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. If they can pull off that upset, they will turn around and play again at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals.
At Midland: DePue is still looking for its first win, but improving every time out for first-year coach Erin Duffy. The Lady Giants will take on No. 2 seed Roanoke-Benson (12-10) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Varna.
Chris Yucus contributed to this report.
