Lady Lions leave it all on the court
By Chris Yucus
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cyucus@bcrnews.com
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| LaMoille/Ohio’s Laura Stouffer winds up for a serve for the Lady Lions in Thursday’s regional semifinal at Somonauk. (BCR photo/Chris Yucus) |
SOMONAUK — The LaMoille/Ohio Lady Lion co-op’s 2009 campaign came to a close Thursday night in Somonauk as they fell 25-23, 25-21 to Indian Creek in 1A volleyball regional action.
The Lady Lions left everything on the floor in a gutsy performance that likely left their kneepads glad the season was over, after all the abuse they sustained from the diving, dipping and sliding of their hosts.
“We definitely played to our potential and as hard as we could play,” said Lady Lion libero Raeann Coughlin, who led all players with 18 digs. “I felt that even though we lost, it felt to us like a win.”
“They played with their hearts, and tried not to let that ball hit the floor as much as possible,” said LaMoille/Ohio coach Denise Billhorn.
After the two-squads battled back and forth to a 9-9 tie in the first set the Lady Lions staged a run, claiming six of the next seven volleys to stake a 15-10 advantage on a service ace from junior Laura Stouffer.
Coming off of a time-out, the Timberwolves regained their composure and rattled off five-straight points to notch things up at 15-15.
The two squads traded points to a 21-21 tie, and the Lady Lions drew within two points of victory on the serve of senior Mary Bartoli at 23-21 following a Indian Creek push call.
Indian Creek took advantage of a Lady Lion miscue on a long spike, and blocked a spike attempt by freshman McKenzie Billhorn to make it 23-23, and the Timberwolves’ Kristen Westbrook closed things out with a spike that fell to the floor in front of a diving Coughlin to take the first set victory.
The Lady Lions jumped out to an early lead in the second set, going up 8-3 on an ace from sophomore Erika Walzer, but Indian Creek answered right back.
The Timberwolves tied things up at 9-9 with an ace from Cameron Wallace and took the lead on the next volley after a push call on the Lady Lions.
LaMoille/Ohio showed they still had some fight left in them and claimed a 15-12 advantage on a long serve, but once again, Indian Creek responded to tie things up at 16-16, and they continued to roll, claiming a 21-17 lead on a long spike from LaMoille/Ohio senior Courtney Loomis.
A rotation-error call on the Lady Lions, the second of the contest, gave Indian Creek a 22-17 lead.
“I didn’t see it,” said Billhorn, who explained the referee informed her that some of her players were overlapping on the Indian Creek serves, “It wasn’t obvious to me, apparently it was to the ref.”
Not content to give up, LaMoille/Ohio captured the next four volleys, scoring three points on the serve of senior Haley Stouffer, to bring it to a 22-21 Timberwolves’ advantage.
Stouffer’s fourth serve went long, and Indian Creek closed things out down the stretch on a set error and defensive miscue from the Lady Lions to claim the 25-21 victory.
“We couldn’t quite close it out, the ball didn’t fall our way,” said Billhorn.
With the loss LaMoille/Ohio closes out its season at 5-23.
Notes: Haley Stouffer, Bartoli and Walzer each registered five service points and Walzer added three kills and three blocks to lead L/O in both categories. L/O setter Megan Elam notched 12 assists. For IC, Westbrook notched five kills, Paku had eight assists along with 11 digs and Carson Day tallied four blocks.
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