By Mike
McGraw
Executive Director
INDIANAPOLIS — Brebeuf has just about
everything you could want in a volleyball team. The Class 3A No. 9 Braves have
size, speed, and skill. There is only one thing they donââ?¬â?¢t possess — Paige
Weber.
That
treasure belongs exclusively to Roncalli, and that is why the 3A third-ranked Rebels
are moving on in the Marion
County Tournament.
Don�t get
me wrong. Roncalli is a talented team, but the Rebels� strongest asset is that
they know they have the biggest dog in the fight, and they ride her talents
from beginning to end. Weber did everything but sell popcorn Sept. 27 in
leading Roncalli to a hard-fought 23-25, 25-16, 25-22, 24-26, 15-11 victory on
opening-round action.
It was a
match that had to leave both coaches with mixed emotions.
It
appeared early on as though Roncalli would have little trouble in this battle
of 3A powers. The Rebels surged to a 19-12 lead in Game 1, but it was at that
point that Brebeuf exerted what would be a consistent theme through the
evening: superiority at the net. The Braves, aided by some inconsistent Rebel
play, roared back and took the first game.
However,
there is a reason coach Kathy Nalley-Schembra has been winning at Roncalli for
over a generation. Adjustments were made, and Brebeuf�s power at the net was
nearly completely nullified in the next two games. Weber�s rare talents at
controlling the ball and Roncalli�s lack of unforced errors seemed to have the
match in control by midway in Game 4.
That is
when things took a frustrating and bizarre twist.
Brebeuf
coach Brian Murphy made a substitution error that was apparently not caught by
anyone but Murphy himself. The Brebeuf mentor immediately called attention to
the mistake and tried to do his best to rectify the situation. But sometimes
the best-laid plans go awry, and that is certainly the case in this instance.
His
efforts, and what would have to be called an oversight by an official, simply
led to more confusion. The result was 15 minutes of down time late in the game.
In the end Brebeuf was penalized, and the adjusted score gave Roncalli an 18-15
lead. Bad break for Brebeuf, right?
Wrong. The
disruption gave the Braves both a chance to rest and some immediate motivation,
and they surged back to take the game 25-23. And the momentum seemed ready to
carry Brebeuf to what would have been a great comeback victory in the match as
the Braves jumped to a quick 6-1 lead in the deciding Game 5.
Weber,
however, would have none of that. The Rebels� nationally regarded setter simply
took control of the match at that critical juncture. She led the Rebels back
and eventually to a 15-11 Game 5 win and the match victory. The match ended on
a service error by Brebeuf, which was something that plagued the Braves all
evening.
Just how
dominant was Weber? Try this stat line on for size: five aces, 12 kills, and 37
assists. Repeatedly throughout the contest, Weber made plays at critical times
to put a dagger in the hearts of the Brebeuf faithful.
Roncalli�s
prize for winning this marathon is a date Sept. 28 with 4A second-ranked Warren
Central in Round 2. The Warriors already own one match victory over Roncalli
this year.
So what do you think? Share your thoughts
in our Volleyball forum.
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