Knights outlast Cathedral

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

SLEEPY EYE -- Call it power over finesse ... barely.

The Sleepy Eye St. Mary's volleyball team used a powerful frontcourt to survive a huge scare Tuesday night, holding off New Ulm Cathedral 11-15, 15-2, 15-6, 13-15, 16-14 in Tomahawk Conference action.

"We just never gave up," Greyhound coach Karan Whitmyer said. "Both teams, I thought, left their heart and soul on the court. Everybody played so hard for us ... I'm really proud of our kids. It was a total team effort; we can't walk out of here holding our heads."

The first game was a sign of things to come as both teams battled for every point and every side-out. A Nicole Steffl kill followed by an Erin Scherer ace gave the Knights a 10-7 lead, but ace serves from Beth Hazuka and Tessa Hodapp followed by kills from Kari Franta and Prairie Hady would give the Hounds a lead they would not relinquish. Steffl's service point got St. Mary's within one, but a Hazuka kill spurred a three-point run and a 1-0 game edge for Cathedral.

That loss seemed to wake up the Knights -- and Steffl. Held in check for the first game, the powerful 5-foot-9 hitter had four ace kills and an ace tip as St. Mary's scored nine straight points in the midst of a 15-2 win. The third game was a little harder, with 33 combined side-outs, but another huge run, this one 10 straight, pushed the Knight lead to 13-5 en route to the win and the 2-1 game edge. Steffl ended that third game with three kills and an ace block.

"The first game Steffl wasn't too much of a factor, but in the second and third games she dominated," Whitmyer said. "I thought in the fourth and fifth games we kept her at bay a little bit -- you're not going to completely stop her, but we slowed her down enough to stay in the game."

The Knights looked to put the match away as a pair of Emily Schroepfer kills followed by an Ashley Krenz ace block gave St. Mary's a 10-6 lead, but the Hounds battled through some side-outs to take an 11-10 advantage on a Kari Franta ace. SESM held leads of 12-11 and 13-12 before Liesl Genelin's ace hit gave Cathedral the momentum to carry through for the win and the tie.

"Our serving ... Kari Franta did a nice job in the fourth game to get us back in it," Whitmyer said. "She served well, and (St. Mary's) had some problems with serve-receive."

The Knights would jump out again to a big lead in the fifth game -- three Steffl kills for an 8-1 edge -- but the Greyhounds refused to die. They battled back once again with eight straight points as Hady delivered a kill, and ace tip, and an ace block.

"We played some girls with little varsity experience, and they definitely came through for us in certain situations," Whitmyer said.

The game would once again ebb and flow as kills by Scherer and Schroepfer gave the Knights a 12-11 lead, only to see two straight from the Hounds give them the advantage. Genelin's service point put Cathedral on the doorstep, but it would be the serving of Steph Moldan that put St. Mary's over the top. She had an ace serve to knot the game once again, and after a four-hit violation put the match away with another ace.

"We have to take away from this game the fact of the level at which we can play," Whitmyer said. "That's the challenge for us now -- to play at that level. But I'm most proud of the fact we just wouldn't give up."

Cathedral (1-1, 0-1) will host Springfield Thursday, the same night St. Mary's (2-0) hosts crosstown rival Sleepy Eye.