Post by doctorwho on Aug 29, 2007 7:14:36 GMT -6
Congrats on the cross town win to the Wildcats !
Also it appears no AC for the match ?
Neuqua counterpunch drops North
Wildcats shake off slow start to win match in 3 games
August 29, 2007
By Patrick Mooney Staff Writer
Neuqua Valley could have panicked.
A first-game loss to rival Naperville North. Colleen Ward, one of the country's top recruits, flying around the other side of the net. And a warm, stuffy gym, where fans helplessly waved programs to circulate the air.
But the Wildcats kept cool, regrouping to win the final two games and the first match of what they hope will be a breakout season.
» Click to enlarge image
Neuqua Valley's Genevieve Dejean lunges for a dig against Naperville North on Tuesday. The Wildcats rallied after losing the first game to win the match.
Kate Szrom / Staff photographer
HITTING THE AFTERBURNERS
There was little separation between Neuqua Valley and Naperville North on Tuesday until the final moments of Game 3. With a bipartisan crowd yelling for both sides, the game was tied at 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. Neuqua, a team built from the back row out, then surged ahead with a 7-1 closing run.
"We're ready to put up a fight no matter what," said Neuqua defensive specialist Shannon McGowan, who led all players with 24 digs.
If this was a neighborhood fight, then the final scorecard read 18-25, 25-10, 25-19. The Wildcats return seven players from last year's team, which compiled the best record in school history (23-10). That group finished tied for third in the Upstate Eight Conference with an 8-2 mark, and the hope is to crash through to the next level this fall on the strength of its serving and defense.
"They're not surprised," Neuqua coach Kelly Simon said of her veteran team. "I don't know if anyone else expected us to win, but at Neuqua Valley we expected to win tonight."
The strong finish masked a shaky beginning for Neuqua (1-0). Ward, who finished with 13 kills, six digs and two aces, keyed a 5-0 opening surge that set the tone for North's first-game win. But the teams then switched sides of the gym and with that the game's momentum completely shifted.
"We just needed to play our game and get going," Simon said. "Game 2, (we) finally got some momentum, got some chemistry going. It was more like us."
There was McGowan scraping against the floor, and Nikki Federico leaping through the air for one of her six kills. While the Huskies (0-1) leaned heavily on Ward, the Wildcats waited for a balanced attack to emerge, from setter Paige Stevens (16 assists, eight kills, seven digs) to setter Hope Baumgartner (12 assists, four kills) to outside hitter Michelle Madeja (six kills).
"They had a lot of people contributing on their side of the net," North coach Jen Urban said. "They had quite a few players getting kills for them, so they did a nice job setting a balanced offense."
Game 3 swung back and forth until, with Neuqua holding a 19-18 lead, Madeja finished off a ball dug out by Stevens and Rachelle Dejean. Moments later Dejean notched an ace, part of a 6-0 run that finally buried the Huskies.
"It came down to we made more errors than they did," Urban said. "In the second two games, we never got it going. We certainly know what we need to improve on and we will get there."
Urban will continue to try and find the right mix to replace eight seniors lost from last season's 31-7 team.
In the meantime, Neuqua can enjoy a signature win.
"We're tired of being close," Simon said. "The girls have worked far too hard. We've got seven seniors that have given their heart and soul to this program and they're fighters."
Contact Patrick Mooney at pmooney@scn1.com or 630-416-5107.
Also it appears no AC for the match ?
Neuqua counterpunch drops North
Wildcats shake off slow start to win match in 3 games
August 29, 2007
By Patrick Mooney Staff Writer
Neuqua Valley could have panicked.
A first-game loss to rival Naperville North. Colleen Ward, one of the country's top recruits, flying around the other side of the net. And a warm, stuffy gym, where fans helplessly waved programs to circulate the air.
But the Wildcats kept cool, regrouping to win the final two games and the first match of what they hope will be a breakout season.
» Click to enlarge image
Neuqua Valley's Genevieve Dejean lunges for a dig against Naperville North on Tuesday. The Wildcats rallied after losing the first game to win the match.
Kate Szrom / Staff photographer
HITTING THE AFTERBURNERS
There was little separation between Neuqua Valley and Naperville North on Tuesday until the final moments of Game 3. With a bipartisan crowd yelling for both sides, the game was tied at 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. Neuqua, a team built from the back row out, then surged ahead with a 7-1 closing run.
"We're ready to put up a fight no matter what," said Neuqua defensive specialist Shannon McGowan, who led all players with 24 digs.
If this was a neighborhood fight, then the final scorecard read 18-25, 25-10, 25-19. The Wildcats return seven players from last year's team, which compiled the best record in school history (23-10). That group finished tied for third in the Upstate Eight Conference with an 8-2 mark, and the hope is to crash through to the next level this fall on the strength of its serving and defense.
"They're not surprised," Neuqua coach Kelly Simon said of her veteran team. "I don't know if anyone else expected us to win, but at Neuqua Valley we expected to win tonight."
The strong finish masked a shaky beginning for Neuqua (1-0). Ward, who finished with 13 kills, six digs and two aces, keyed a 5-0 opening surge that set the tone for North's first-game win. But the teams then switched sides of the gym and with that the game's momentum completely shifted.
"We just needed to play our game and get going," Simon said. "Game 2, (we) finally got some momentum, got some chemistry going. It was more like us."
There was McGowan scraping against the floor, and Nikki Federico leaping through the air for one of her six kills. While the Huskies (0-1) leaned heavily on Ward, the Wildcats waited for a balanced attack to emerge, from setter Paige Stevens (16 assists, eight kills, seven digs) to setter Hope Baumgartner (12 assists, four kills) to outside hitter Michelle Madeja (six kills).
"They had a lot of people contributing on their side of the net," North coach Jen Urban said. "They had quite a few players getting kills for them, so they did a nice job setting a balanced offense."
Game 3 swung back and forth until, with Neuqua holding a 19-18 lead, Madeja finished off a ball dug out by Stevens and Rachelle Dejean. Moments later Dejean notched an ace, part of a 6-0 run that finally buried the Huskies.
"It came down to we made more errors than they did," Urban said. "In the second two games, we never got it going. We certainly know what we need to improve on and we will get there."
Urban will continue to try and find the right mix to replace eight seniors lost from last season's 31-7 team.
In the meantime, Neuqua can enjoy a signature win.
"We're tired of being close," Simon said. "The girls have worked far too hard. We've got seven seniors that have given their heart and soul to this program and they're fighters."
Contact Patrick Mooney at pmooney@scn1.com or 630-416-5107.