Volleyball: Pirates lose 3-set heartbreaker on senior night

OTTAWA – It was so tantalizingly close early on, but so desperately far away in the end Thursday in terms of capturing a victory for the Ottawa High volleyball team.

The Pirates tallied back against Rochelle to win the first set and had three match points within their grasp in set two only to fall in heartbreaking fashion, 22-25, 26-24, 26-24, against the Hubs during their last night of both regular-season and Interstate Eight Conference play on senior night at Kingman Gym.

OHS honored seniors Brea Konwinski, Allie Snyder, Molly Buscher and Grace Landers, with Snyder leading the local effort on the night with 12 service points, eight aces, five kills and one block as the Pirates pounded down a whopping 19 aces.

But the stellar effort proved just two tallies shy during the final two sets of extra-points, as Ottawa concluded its regular season with a record of 9-23-1 and 3-11 mark in league play.

“We just had trouble closing the final two sets, and we had several windows and opportunities that we missed where we could’ve won the match,” said OHS coach Jenn Crum. “But Rochelle’s senior, Sylvia Hasz, is a beast in all aspects of the game, and she showed it tonight. I thought her overall performance was the difference in the match.”

In fact, Hasz was a dynamo all over the court as a setter (19 assists), a hitter (11 kills) and a server (six points, three aces) as Rochelle (16-15, 8-6 IEC) also received amazing match-best efforts from Addie Friestad (17 kills) and libero Macy Ramos (19 digs).

“Those were three great sets, that’s for sure, and we had to hold on in the final two to win this one against a very fine Ottawa team,” said RHS coach Molly Sly. “They were very tough with all their aces and really put us to the test. But I thought what we got from both Sylvia (Hasz) and Addie (Friestad) in all aspects was pretty remarkable, and we were able to get out of here with a very exciting victory.”

The Pirates trailed 8-3 in the first set before Snyder reeled off six straight service points, including four aces, to give her team a 9-8 lead.

Ottawa would never trail again in the opener, embarking on a hard-fought, 16-14 advantage to close out the first game after sophomore Ryleigh Stevenson (seven kills) and junior Melana Pries (five kills) both hit home winners off the deft setting of Landers (16 assists, 13 digs) to close out game one.

Rochelle led for almost all of the second game until the Pirates forged a 21-21 tie and scored the next three points after a hitting error by the Hubs, an ace from sophomore Haley Waddell (10 digs, eight points, four aces) and a middle kill from Snyder to go up 24-21.. But the Hubs evened up the proceedings at a set apiece with five consecutive tallies, including a kill then a stuff block from Taelynn Rodeghero (seven kills), on set point that sent the match into a third and deciding game.

“That was certainly disappointing, because we felt we had the match in hand,” Crum said. “But credit Rochelle for finding a way to stay alive.”

Konwinski (five kills, five points, four aces) produced three winners in the final set, including a back-row dagger that put Ottawa ahead 20-19 before the Hubs rallied to go up 24-23. There, Pries fired home a mid-net winner to even things up at 24-24.

But a Pirates serving error and a left-side kill from Hasz to Friestad on match point sealed the deal for the visitors, leaving the home squad disappointed on senior night.

“This was a tough one for sure, but I think the way we played tonight will give us good confidence entering regionals next week,” Crum said. “I’m very proud of all of these girls, especially all four of our seniors.”

Ottawa will open up postseason play next Tuesday at the Sterling Class 3A Regional as the No. 8 seed vs. No. 2 Geneseo.