Girls volleyball: Mendota takes cares of business against Princeton

MENDOTA – Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s 1970s hit “Taking Care of Business” blaring over the sound system after Thursday’s Three Rivers Conference girls volleyball match between Princeton and Mendota was most appropriate.

That’s because the host Spikers took care of business, quickly and efficiently.

They won the first set 25-19 over the visiting Tigresses and then took the second even more convincingly, 25-17.

“I’m super excited. I’m just over the moon. I’m a very proud coach tonight,” Mendota coach Nicci Gibson said. “We have just worked really, really hard as a team to believe in each other and believe in the process and in my coaching. The girls just love each other and they work hard every day. We had a game plan and they just really executed the game plan we practiced.

“I am giving 110% credit to my girls. I can’t tell you how hard they work during the week. When I push them, when I coach them, I mean they continuously come back every day and work harder and harder. They’re coachable. They compete every day in practice. That’s one of our key words, compete every day, whether it’s at practice or a game. I don’t want you to ever give up and they did just that tonight.”

PHS coach Andy Puck said, “Mendota played out of their mind and just played incredible.”

Both games were pretty much played evenly, until the Spikers (5-4, 1-1 TRC) stepped on the accelerator in each.

Princeton (8-7-1, 1-2) played the host Spikers to an 8-8 score in the opener before Ryleigh Sondgeroth served an ace for Mendota. Another ace on a let serve by Reanna Brant ran Mendota’s lead to 15-10.

The Tigresses fought back to tie the game at 15, including a kill by sophomore Karsyn Brucker. Hitting errors by Princeton helped the Spikers go up 22-17.

PHS sophomore Caroline Keutzer knocked down a kill to make it 22-18, and classmate Keighley Davis struck for another to keep the Tigresses in the game at 24-19. A service error by the Tigresses, however, gave the Spikers the opening game.

Princeton again played the host Spikers to an 8-8 score in the second set and led 14-13.

Mendota, however, turned the tide with a five-point run to go up 18-14. A kill by Grace Wasmer helped the Spikers stretch their lead to 20-15.

Brant hit for match point to clinch a 25-17 winner.

Puck said he could see it all coming based on Tuesday’s home loss to Kewanee.

“Just a lack of communication. Lack of ball control,” he said. “We don’t pass the ball very well. We’re out of systems. Our setters have to run every where. Front row is doing all they possibly can. It’s tough.

“We’re young. We only have three seniors on the floor. To start the way we did and then all of a sudden go through a lull right now. Kind of ebb and flow. It’s expected.

“Did I see this coming? Partially, yeah. Everything we got beat on tonight, we worked on in practice last night. It’s little things that aren’t going to improve over night. It takes time. .... We’ve got some soul searching to do. It starts with them. Hopefully things work out.”

Puck was pleased with the play of the substitutes he brought in the second game to try to slow Mendota, juniors Mariska Mount, Mia Buccini and Ella Kinnamon and sophomore Kathy Maciczak.

“I am really proud of the kids who came in that second set,” he said. “They showed a lot of energy. Showed a lot of positive things.”

Laylie Denault and Wasmer each had five kills for Mendota, with Brant and Madelyn Becker adding three each. Becker also dished out 11 assists and scooped up 11 digs as did senior Ana Ramirez.

Gibson was especially pleased with the play of Ramirez in just her third match at libero for the Spikers, showing her hustle and determination by taking out a couple of chairs on the Mendota bench going after a ball. She took over for the injured Lilly Leifheit over the weekend.

Keutzer led PHS with five kills, while Keighley Davis (2 blocks), Chrissy Sierens and Ellie Harp added three each. Natasha Faber-Fox had nine assists and Kelsea Klingenberg had eight points.

Notes: It was a winning night all around for Gibson, who got a phone call from her daughter, Taylor, announcing she just got engaged to her boyfriend, Shane Harris. Taylor Gibson, a former L-P standout, served as her mom’s sophomore coach the past two seasons. She now lives in Ohio.