After 3 straight games on the road, the Lady Knights were back at home, one last time this season. That means, it’s Senior Night.
There are only 2 seniors, on a young team this season, as #3 Kaci Gregory and #19 Lainey Gardner were honored before the game.
I was sitting with the rest of the team on the floor, for the pregame activities. While most of the girls held it together, there was one who could not.
Afterwards, the Lady Knights had a tall (they were outsized) task ahead of them.
The 14-6 Ottoville Big Green were in at The Ray, and looking to play spoiler.
The Lady Knights would get the first 2 points. Ottoville would respond to make it 2-2. The teams would trade points back and forth, to an 8-8 game. They’d then trade 2 point streaks, and again, be tied at 12-12. The Lady Knights would score 5 straight, and force Ottoville head coach Alexis Lautzenheiser to call a timeout, down 17-12.
The Big Green would respond by winning 6 of the next 9 points, getting the score to 20-18. This time forcing Crestview head coach Tammy Gregory to call a timeout. The Lady Knights would end up winning the first set 25-21.
The Big Green would capitalize on communication mistakes by the Lady Knights, and quickly go up 3-0. A looooooooooong rally, showing off incredible athleticism and stamina, as players from both teams were diving and getting hard digs, ultimately, the Big Green would win the hard-earned point, and give Ottoville a 4-0 lead. Crestview would respond by winning the next 4 straight points, and tying the game up.
They would go back and forth to an 8-8 game. They’d trade 2-point streaks, and it would be 12-12 now. Ottoville would win 5 of the next 7 points, making the score 17-14 and cause a Crestview timeout. The Lady Knights would make a smally rally, getting it to a 21-19 game, before an Ottoville timeout. In the end though, the Big Green would win a hard-earned 2nd set 25-23.
The Lady Knights would get out to a fast start in the 3rd set. They’d get out to a 10-4 lead. The ensuing Big Green timeout, did nothing to stop the momentum though. Crestview would be up 16-8. Lady Knights head coach Tammy Gregory would call a timeout, after a 3rd straight Big Green point, made it 16-11.
This was a different timeout though. It wasn’t to “stop momentum”. It was a coaching timeout. She was NOT happy with something that happened on that 27th point of the set.
The girls responded and took the lead to 22-15, forcing a Big Green timeout. As in the 1st set, it would be for naught, as the Lady Knights would win the 3rd set 25-21, and go up 2-1 in the match.
Crestview would start the 4th set hot, jumping out to an 8-3 lead. Ottoville would be forced to call a timeout, down 12-5. It would work, as the Big Green would win 7 of the next 10 points, and forcing a Crestview timeout, up 15-12.
Big Green #4 Jenna Suever would score an ACE immediately after the timeout, leading a 3-point streak, that would tie the game at 15-15. The Lady Knights responded with 4 straight points. Not to be outdone, Ottoville answered right back with 4 straight of their own. It was now a 19-19 game.
Ottoville scored the next point and went up 20-19. Coach Gregory had to use her final timeout.
The timeout worked, as the Lady Knights would win 4 of the next 5 points, and take a 23-21 lead, forcing Coach Lautzenheiser to call her final timeout as well.
The Lady Knights would put the Big Green away, winning the 4th set 25-23, and winning the match 3 sets to 1.
After the game I spoke to Crestview Lady Knights head coach Tammy Gregory.
It was a big win on Senior Night, but Ottoville didn’t make it easy, as it was a very competitive game.
“We knew that coming in, Kaci knows a lot of the girls very well, and is good friends with them from club volleyball, we knew it was going to be tough.”
Ottoville played a power style game, and it left the Lady Knights scrambling at times.
“We have the mindset, that every ball is coming to you. You want to have that confidence that you’re going to be able to handle whatever comes your way.”
With the regular season drawing to a close, and tournament time coming up; I asked Coach Gregory, what she thinks the team needs to improve on, to “make that tournament run?”
“We need to be more consistent. We are the team that scores a lot of points, and then gives up a lot of points. It’s just the consistency. We need to do better, and we can do better. I believe in these girls.”
I tried 10 times to download a picture here, but the “tech team” at WordPress couldn’t figure out why it kept turning sideways. I got tired of their excuses and moved on.
Leading the way for the Lady Knights……
erving
Kaci Gregory 20/21 with 5 aces
Delanie Balliet 17/17 with 2 aces
Kinley Crider 13/14 with 3 aces
Lainey Gardner 11/12 with 1 ace
Hitting
Kaci Gregory 13 kills
Ayla Kreischer 9 kills
Kenadie Schwartz 8 kills
Kaylee Owens 7 kills
Setting
Nora Perkins 22 assists
Kinley Crider 21 assists
Digs
Delanie Balliet 13 digs
Kaci Gregory 12 digs
Ayla Kreischer 9 digs
Zoe Ross 7 digs
Blocks
Kaylee Owens 3 blocks
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats courtesy of…..Tammy Gregory.
