Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Slow start puts an end to O'Fallon's volleyball season

Slow start in sectional title match leads to end of the Panthers' season

NORMAL -- The O'Fallon girls volleyball team got off to a slow start Thursday.

And in a momentum-driven sport such as volleyball, a stagnant start can make or break a match.

Such was the case in Thursday's 25-14, 25-19 loss to Quincy in the Class 4A Normal West Sectional championship match.

The Panthers, making their first sectional championship appearance, struggled to perform as they did in Tuesday's two-set win against Edwardsville.

"It was just a totally different team, just a totally different offense," O'Fallon coach Erin Legendre said. "Quincy was much quicker, much tougher at the net. That's where we excel -- being able to put down kills early in the game and sort of build a lead. And we definitely didn't do that in either game. It kind of got us in trouble."

O'Fallon (28-9-1) never led in the match and only tied the match once - when one of Emma Goldschmidt's match-high 11 kills tied the first game at one.

After that Quincy (36-3), which faces (Lisle) Benet Academy in Saturday's Normal Community Super-Sectional, jumped out to a 15-4 advantage en route to the opening-game win.

"Their offense was really quick and they blocked really well and we just couldn't seem to string any points together," Legendre said. "It kind of put us at definite momentum disadvantage."

Quincy senior setter Hannah Kvitle knows how Goldschmidt, her future teammate at St. Louis University, and the Panthers felt -- since the Blue Devils lost to Edwardsville in the sectional title match last season.

"I've definitely been in that position and (didn't) want to be there again," Kvitle said.

Kvitle led off second game with two straight service points and helped Quincy jump out to an 11-4 second-game lead.

Unlike in the opening game, O'Fallon managed to string some points together to cut Quincy's lead to 18-15 -- forcing the Blue Devils to call their first timeout of the match.

"When they called the timeout, I said, 'We're going to have to keep pulling off plays,'" Legendre said. "Big plays."

O'Fallon cut the lead to two, 18-16, but that's the closest the Panthers came to leading as Quincy closed out the match with three straight points.

Blue Devils coach Barb Crist didn't want to chance playing O'Fallon in a third game.

"We didn't want to go three," Crist said. "That's not we're about. We're about going out and winning in two. And hopefully we'll be able to continue that tradition and make something happen on Saturday."

Even though O'Fallon earned its second regional -- and first since 1992, Legendre still found herself with higher expectations for her team.

"It was definitely a disappointment," Legendre said. "I mean, I'm very proud of the team as to how far we've gone -- I mean this is the best our team has ever done in school history and the girls have worked really hard. It's just disappointing. Not everybody can go to the state tournament, so somebody has to be disappointed. It's just tough."

Katie Roustio had 8 kills, Amanda Sebesta had 10 digs, Brenn Hagarty had nine digs and Meredith Mueller and Tori Lee had nine assists apiece for the Panthers in the loss.