State hopes derailed

SCHUYLER - David City Aquinas overcame some early mistakes and dug itself out of a 2-0 hole to beat Fremont Bergan 3-2 in the C2-2 district final Friday at Schuyler Central High School.

The Lady Knights, playing what coach Sue Wewel called "the best volleyball I’ve ever seen them play," took the first two games 25-18, 25-21, but the Monarchs scratched out a 25-23 win in the third game, cruised through the fourth set 25-10, and outlasted the Knights 15-10 in the final set.

"Overall our kids played with courage," Wewel said. "This team we played is a very good team, they possibly could win the state championship. They’re that good.

"I thought we played really tough in the third set, but in the fourth set momentum shifted. Momentum shifts so easily in this game and I think they got on a roll."

The keys to the Aquinas attack were 6-0 senior Katie Holoubek, who pounded out 32 kills, and Mary Klosterman, who added 20 kills. The duo worked the corners of the net to counter Bergan’s taller front line that includes 6-2 Kansas State recruit Courtney Cook.

"The strength of our hitting is from the outside. We don’t attack from the middle very much," Aquinas coach Jody Pelan said. "Katie and Mary are both great athletes, they leap so well. We’ve got Shania Steager and Emily Kobza who are really good setters. It’s just a great group of girls and they attack. A lot of times we shoot way outside and get a little bit quicker by putting a shoot set out there rather than a high arcing set.

"I think we did get in their heads and I think we did wear them down a bit," she said. "I think we had them kind of second guessing themselves, but they gave us a great game."

Pelan said it was important for the Monarchs to stay aggressive.

"Courtney Cook is a pretty good player. We told our girls to stay at it. We’ve got Holoubek, I think she’s as good as Cook. We told them we’re going to get blocked a few times, but we just have to stay focused and stay in the game," Pelan said.

Cook and 6-1 junior Jessy Schroedter did their share of damage along the way. Cook finished with 16 kills and four blocks. Schroedter had 13 kills and six blocks, including some key blocks late in the third game.

"We did an outstanding job of blocking in the first three games, but our blocks did not come through in game four and game five," Wewel said. "I think our blocking was the difference in the game. Jessy had some huge blocks."

Hailey Kirby had 40 set assists for Bergan. Kortney Classen and Janae Radtke came away with 11 digs apiece.

Aquinas took a 9-5 lead early in the first game, but four straight Monarch hitting errors helped the Knights go on top 10-9.

A Klosterman kill tied the game 10-10, but Bergan got back in front on the next ball when the Monarchs were whistled for four hits, and the Knights led the rest of the way.

Bergan led throughout the second game. Aquinas got to within 15-14 when a Klosterman tip found a gap in the Knights’ defense. Bergan answered with a five-point run to hold Aquinas back.

The Knights looked to continue their momentum in the third set, which saw seven ties. A deep shot by Schroedter pulled Bergan to within a point late. The two teams traded hitting errors, and Kristine Fiala ended the set with a deep hit out of the reach of Classen, who was momentarily shaken up after diving for the ball.

Holoubek was on fire in the fourth game. Aquinas went on an eight-point run and scored the last six points of the game while Bergan was unable to generate a consistent attack.

Klosterman blistered a shot from the left corner to Bergan’s back row in the fourth set, breaking a 7-7 tie, and Aquinas never trailed again.

"Defensively, we were a little slow of foot in the fourth and fifth games," Wewel said.

Aquinas will take a 24-8 record into the state tournament. Bergan, which was 2-6 at one point of the season, ended the 2009 campaign with a 20-14 mark.

"Any time you can play in the finals of your district against a good team like this and play right with them, that’s a tribute to our girls and their desire to win," Wewel said. "This has been a season of learning, we had two freshmen on the court many times, and it’s been a great experience. I’m so happy about how these kids improved all season. This is the 13th straight year we’ve hit 20 wins and that’s a tribute to our athletes and our coaching staff, and it’s a tradition that we’re going to keep going."