MVL sweeps 8th ranked BL-H

By BENJAMIN TOMCZAK

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- "Fun-da-men-tals!"

It's a classic hazing cheer fans use against their opponents. It's also the one thing Minnesota Valley Lutheran coach Ron Ohm focuses on more than anything else. And it works.

"We're just working on fundamentals," Ohm said. "They've been behind, they've come from behind."

The Chargers served, spiked, set and blocked their way to a stunning three game, Tomahawk Conference sweep of the eighth-ranked Class 1A Buffalo Lake-Hector Mustangs Tuesday, winning 15-11, 15-5, 15-9.

Though they did sweep the Mustangs, the Chargers did have to come from behind to take the third game.

Down 9-4, the Chargers (12-1, 7-0) took a timeout to regroup and gain some focus and get back to the fundamentals of the game. They came out and scored 11 straight points to seal a 15-9 win and the sweep.

"I was prepared to take as many games as it took," Ohm said. "I'm so proud of my girls and how they responded. They just refuse to lose."

Ohm may have been prepared to win in five, but the Charger players were expecting to win in three.

"We really did," senior outside hitter Amanda Ristow said. "Our team's really playing together right now and we never get down. We're just hoping to keep winning them until there aren't anymore to win."

Or ask junior middle hitter Angie Unke. "We were really confident about it. I was so ready. Everybody was up, it was awesome."

The end came in a painful way for the Mustangs. Down13-9, Ristow served a blazing ace to the deep left corner that the Mustang's Stephanie Hauer could only smile at. The next point ended in an Unke kill that Missy Schultz just couldn't reach. It was a frustrating end to a frustrating night for the Mustangs (12-7, 4-2).

"They really beat us with their defense," BLH coach Susan Alstrom said. "They played real well offensively and defensively and they were digging us.

"I've been trying to teach them to spread it around," Ohm said, "and everybody's doing their job and that's why we're winning."

Not only were the Chargers digging, they were blocking. Time and again it was Unke and Ristow, or Morgan and Jessica Merseth at the net blocking the BLH attacks. The Chargers totaled 13 ace blocks on the night.

The Chargers, a team without any one definable superstar, used a solid, team effort that relies on different individuals stepping up to win this match, their twelfth consecutive win.

Tuesday the buck passed to Unke and Ristow.

For Ristow it was the last home game of her career, and she made the most of it. The outside hitter had two kills, three digs and four blocks and was serving bullets all night long on every serve, something that surprised Ohm.

"This is the first night in a long time I've played her all around," he said. "She's a front row player and does not serve." You couldn't tell Tuesday.

"She's a senior. She's a captain. It's Parent's night," Ohm said, as if to explain.

Unke, a 6'2" middle hitter, dominated the center for the Chargers, totaling a game-high nine kills, along with three ace blocks.

But lest one think that these two were the only Chargers stepping up, perhaps one could mention a few others, for example Rachel Olson (perfect serving, two aces), Merseth (four blocks, three kills), Melissa Meyer (three ace serves, three digs), Katie Hermanson (10 set assists, perfect serving), Leah Morgan (four kills, three blocks), or Emily Buck (eight set assists).

That's spreading the ball around.

"It's the type of ball we play," Ohm said, "and to me it's the only way to play volleyball. I can rely on so many girls."

Alstrom looks for similar things from her girls, but Tuesday it wasn't there. The usual Mustang trio of Leah Burgstahler (seven kills, four ace serves, four blocks), Monica Ashburn (25 set assists) and Stephanie Hauer (six kills) did the bulk of the work.

"They're the ones we look too," Alstrom said.

The match started out as a battle of attrition, with the Chargers falling behind 5-1 and 7-4 in game one. A great service round by Leah Morgan, highlighted by the great front row play of Merseth and sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Black gave MVL a 9-7 lead they didn't retreat from.

The game ended on a Meyer ace and a blazing Black kill that no one could reach.

Game two was no contest. MVL got out to a 8-0 lead, capitalizing on numerous Mustang errors at the net. Unke had the first of two game-ending kills to cap the rout.

BLH put the Chargers on their heels in the third game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and stretching it to 9-4. MVL made some mistakes and seemed to run out of the adrenaline that drove them to the 15-5 win in game two. BLH also had some inspired hitting from Jodi Ahlbrecht and Schultz.

The best part of the win for Ohm, other than it being the 12th in a row and putting them in a position to face Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop for the Conference championship, was the service game.

The Chargers had nine ace serves on the night and were nearly perfect as a team, something they have not been this year.

"That's a weapon we don't usually have," Ohm said, "but it shows you we do have that capability. When we put it together we are a very good team."

The Chargers will go for number 13 in a row Thursday at New Ulm Cathedral in a non-conference match. BLH will try to regroup in the Willmar Tournament Saturday.

MVL's junior varsity also won Tuesday, taking two of three games from the Mustangs.