By Sarah Clough
Staff Writer
GREENWOOD — Class 4A No. 4 Center Grove defended its home court quite efficiently Sept. 20 as the Trojans swept 4A Lawrence North in three games, 25-18, 25-16, and 25-17.
The Wildcats constantly battled for an early upper hand throughout the match, but after a huge block or powerful swing, Center Grove would gain momentum and push for a big point lead.
Although the scores don�t show how close the games really were, Lawrence North showed a ton of potential within the first 15 points of each game. The Wildcats put up strong blocks against Center Grove�s dominating hitters and placed smart shots to the center of the court, which proved to be one of Center Grove�s few weaknesses.
Lawrence North�s downfall, though, stems from being a younger team. Three juniors and four sophomores make up over half the team, and one of the sophomores is the Wildcats� starting outside hitter. Such a young team has not yet developed the mental strength and focus to win against a strong competitor such as CG.
Physically, the youthful Wildcats look as if they could contend for next year�s Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference champions. But until they develop that mental strength, they continue to allow themselves to accept defeat before a game is even over. This lack of longevity was most evident in the second game after sophomore outside hitter Brittany Daulton received a yellow card for shouting after the referee called her under the net.
Daulton dwelled on the call until the second game ended, and her anger affected the entire team. Her own play lowered to the point that Center Grove�s coach, Deb McClurg, started signaling her players to purposely serve at Daulton. The rest of the Lawrence North team was on edge, and the Wildcats drew yet another yellow card during the game, allowing themselves to get frustrated with referee calls rather than concentrating on the next point.
The Wildcats regained their composure entering the third game, but Center Grove�s two-game advantage fired up the Trojans, and their defense never wavered. The Trojans covered their hitters, picked up the blocks, and scrambled for shanked passes, often bringing them back into play. And Center Grove passed extremely well on serve receive.
Center Grove�s junior outside hitter, Mandy Nichols, controlled the net as she reached over and around blocks and created a wall on defense. Middle blocker Megan Rehmer, meanwhile, posed a larger threat than her size hints at. With speed and a huge vertical jump working for her, Rehmer effectively ran slides on the right side as well as the middle to get around the Lawrence North block.
Center Grove�s strong, consistent play surely will keep the Trojans at a top spot in the 4A rankings.
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