Jonathan Alder’s Corinne Parker (left) sends the ball over the net against Pleasant on Monday. Also pictured for JA are Hunter Kaltenbach (black shirt), Kayleigh Hall (7) and Emma Shepherd (11). Alder won the match in four sets. More photos may be found at marysvillejt.com.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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“Whew!”
That was coach Kim Hayes’ first reaction after her Jonathan Alder volleyball squad defeated Pleasant on Monday evening.
The match featured a pair of teams that had each lost only once previously during the 2018 season.
The Lady Pioneers, who are ranked No. 1 in the Division II state coaches poll, ran their record to 9-1 with a 3-1 victory over the Spartans, who are now 9-2.
JA didn’t have too much trouble taking the first two sets by scores of 25-20, 25-15.
If anyone in Pioneer Nation, however, thought Pleasant was going to go down without a fight, they were mistaken.
The Spartans forced a fourth set after a marathon third game that saw the visitors from Marion County prevail, 34-32.
The Lady Pioneers jumped out to an 18-11 advantage during the fourth set, withstood a Pleasant rally and won 25-22.
“I thought we had the first two games pretty well in control,” said Hayes. “During the third set, Pleasant got the ball to their hitters (Laina Sansotta and Alissa Holler). They are two of the better hitters we’ve faced this season and they had us on our heels.
“They got their hitting system going during the third set,” she said. “I think we were able to serve them out of that system during the final game.”
The opening set was tied at 6-6 before the Lady Pioneers (who will travel to Springfield Shawnee tonight) got their offense untracked.
Kills from Emma Shepherd and Ava Francis soon staked JA to a 15-8 lead.
The Spartans kept up the fight, but Kortney Reynolds’ shot over the net pushed the margin to 18-12.
Pleasant had trouble keeping its serve receptions in play as an errant pass led to Alder’s 22-16 lead.
A kill from Corinne Parker left the home team just two points away from victory at 23-18.
Pleasant sent a block sailing out of bounds and Francis pounded another kill for the opening set triumph.
The Spartans held an 8-7 edge during the second set before Parker camped out on the serving line.
Pleasant committed a number of hitting errors during that time, which allowed Alder to take a 13-9 lead.
Shepherd and Francis came through with kills, while Parker and Reynolds teamed for a block that widened the gap to 17-12.
Hunter Larison’s block propelled the Lady Pioneers out to a 20-13 advantage.
Francis put JA at set point – 24-15 – with another blast over the net.
A Spartan hitting miscue gave Alder its final point and a 2-0 lead.
Jonathan Alder held a 9-5 margin early in the third game and fans might have felt they were in for an early evening.
They didn’t count on Sansotta and Holler taking over the front line play as the lengthy contest continued.
Sansotta’s kill pulled the Spartans to within 22-20 and folks could sense a switch in momentum.
The set was later deadlocked at points 24 through 32 as neither team could gain a substantial edge.
A kill by Holler gave Pleasant a 33-32 lead and another shot by Sansotta carried the Spartans the victory.
A kill from McKenzie Wright gave JA a 7-1 advantage early in the fourth set.
Pleasant kept pounding the ball, but Hunter Kaltenbach of JA kept coming up with huge digs.
“Hunter played the game of her career,” said Hayes.
Another kill from Francis later pushed the Lady Pioneers out to a 17-10 lead, but the Lady Spartans were far from finished.
Pleasant continued its fierce fight until a kill by Sansotta narrowed the gap to 21-19.
Parker’s kill gave JA a bit of breathing room at 22-19.
Alder was later called for a hitting violation that left the Spartans within 23-21.
Francis’ tip over the net put Alder one point away from victory.
A passing miscue by the Pioneers pulled Pleasant to within 24-22.
Francis’ final kill, however, gave the home team a hard-earned victory.
Stats for the match were as follows:
-Blocks: Shepherd-eight, Reynolds-five;
-Kills: Francis-28, Shepherd-15;
-Digs: Kaltenbach-21;
-Assists: Wright-30.
-Serving: Kaltenbach-four aces.
“I thought our front line came through for us during the fourth set,” said Hayes.