Knights fend off Comfrey

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- You could see it in the body language before Game 5 that the momentum was going Comfrey's way after it had rallied from two games down against Sleepy Eye St. Mary's.

St. Mary's won the first two games 25-19, 25-21, but lost 20-25, 12-23 in the next two games to force a fifth game.

The Rockets looked like they had more enthusiasm going into the final game and the Knights looked fatigued and nervous, but the Knights jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held on to win the final game 19-17 in the nonconference volleyball match Monday night.

"They're a very scrappy team," St. Mary's coach Stef Whittet said. "They did a lot of nice things. We didn't capitalize on their mistakes and we didn't keep the ball on our side long enough. We gave up a lot of points. We're lucky that we pulled off the win."

"They don't quit," Comfrey coach Bruce Stresemann said. "We've had a couple of times this year where we were up two games, so we know that teams can come back."

It looked like St. Mary's would cruise early in Game 1 as a tip by Jonalyn Cook and Sadie Sabatino's ace serve put the Knights up 6-1.

Later, Stephanie Krzmarzick had a kill and an ace serve to put the Knights up 15-7, but the Rockets came back thanks to a pair of kills by Jessie Goblirsch, making it 18-15. Raina Walter's kill gave the Knights the 25-19 win.

In the second game, Walter's kill gave the Knights a 9-5 lead, but Heather Berberich's ace serve knotted it up at 10. Krzmarzick's ace tip and kill made it 17-14. Krista Armbruster's had two kills late in the game that gave her team a 2-0 lead thanks to the 25-21 win.

Goblirsh emerged as a major force in the third and fourth games as her ace serve made it 12-11 St. Mary's. However, the Rockets had the momentum swing their way and took a 16-13 lead. Goblirsch ended the game with a kill to give the Rockets a 25-20 win.

Goblirsh then served five straight points to put her team up 5-0. A kill by Angie Hesse gave the Rockets a 7-1 lead and Megan Olson kill made it 12-2 Comfrey.

"Volleyball is such a unique game in that its a momentum thing," Stresemann said. "You could go out and annihilate someone in one game, and in the next do just the opposite."

The Rockets continued to go through Goblirsch as her ace block made it 18-7. Fittingly, Goblirsch's ace tip ended the game at 25-14.

"She sets for us, but there are rotations where we ask her to hit," Stresemann said. "She touches the ball an awful lot. She's just somebody you got to go through as often as you can."

"[There was] no talking and no communication at all," Whittet said. "We just couldn't find momentum and some of my girls need to start taking charge in the leadership department."

Armbruster emerged as a force in the middle in the final game after she had consecutive kills that made it 4-0. Walter's ace serve and another Armbruster kill made it 7-0 before the Rockets finally scored.

The Rockets made it interesting after Hesse's kill brought Comfrey to within 7-4. Then, with Goblirsch at the line with her team trailing 14-10, the Rockets managed to tie it at 14-14 thanks to an ace by Goblirsch. Armbruster's kill gave the Knights a 15-14 lead, and the teams traded points until Walter and Elese Berdan's kills ended it at 19-17. Armbruster finished the match with 20 kills, two ace blocks and three digs.

"She's our go-to player," Whittet said. "She's the one that we look to to put the ball down and I think she handled that very well in the fifth game. We needed her to come through for us."

Amanda Helget had 39 set assists, six digs and three ace tips. Krzmarzick had 11 kills, seven digs, four blocks and two ace blocks.

Sabatino had 11 service points and 10 digs. Brynn Braulick had 10 service points and 10 digs.

St. Mary's (10-8, 3-4) is at Cathedral today while Comfrey travels to Okabena tonight to face Southwest United.