Lady Cardinals sweep battle of unbeaten
By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer
Daily Journal Sports Writer
PARK HILLS — The Mineral Area College volleyball team carried the momentum of a season-opening tournament win into their home match against unbeaten John A. Logan on Wednesday night.
Limited passing and hitting mistakes forced visiting John A. Logan to earn the majority of its points, and the Lady Cardinals used an impressive comeback in game two to sweep the Lady Vols 25-17, 25-20, 25-23.
Sophomore Bailey Stanley continued her effective hitting with a team-high 12 kills while also making 12 digs for the Lady Cardinals (5-0). Milica Balandzic and Carissa Garber knocked down five kills each off 28 total assists from setter Brittany Sinclair.
Mineral Area found much of its defensive success with active play along the back row. Libero Chelsea Pinson brought up 13 digs and Balandzic notched 11 more, giving the team three players in double figures.
John A. Logan (5-1), which scored first in all three stanzas, managed to get 11 kills from Christy Long and nine from Tara Ryterski, but were hindered by stretches of erratic serve receiving and attacking errors.
MAC was handed four free points on missed serves before scoring seven of the final eight during the opening game. Balandzic overpowered the Lady Vols with consecutive kills to give the home team a three-point lead, and Pinson served five straight points including an ace that made it 23-17.
Mineral Area began game two with a passive tipping approach at the net, and the more aggressive Lady Vols capitalized by building an 8-2 lead behind cross-court smashes from Long and Ashley Perry.
A difficult dig by middle hitter Jessica Hill was eventually sent down by Balandzic as the Lady Cardinals chipped away at their deficit. Haley Motley completed the comeback at 14-14 with a solo block, and MAC assumed the lead to stay when a Logan set failed to connect.
Another pivotal rally ended with a Hill block after Pinson kept action alive with two diving digs. Stanley then finished the middle game strong with two left-side kills that sandwiched an ace from Chelsey Politte.
Hill hustled back to the middle for a solo stuff after having a wrap-around attack stopped by the Logan defense in an impressive individual sequence during game three, and Mineral Area appeared to have the match sealed at 17-12 when Sinclair dropped a surprise second touch over for a point.
The Lady Vols stormed back with a series of late kills, including two powerful ones from Ryterski, and eventually drew even at 23-23 on a net violation. However, Motley answered with a clutch spike from the middle past two blockers, and Logan missed long with an attack on match point.
The teams are scheduled to meet again on Friday night in pool play at the McKendree Tournament in Lebanon, Ill.
Limited passing and hitting mistakes forced visiting John A. Logan to earn the majority of its points, and the Lady Cardinals used an impressive comeback in game two to sweep the Lady Vols 25-17, 25-20, 25-23.
Sophomore Bailey Stanley continued her effective hitting with a team-high 12 kills while also making 12 digs for the Lady Cardinals (5-0). Milica Balandzic and Carissa Garber knocked down five kills each off 28 total assists from setter Brittany Sinclair.
Mineral Area found much of its defensive success with active play along the back row. Libero Chelsea Pinson brought up 13 digs and Balandzic notched 11 more, giving the team three players in double figures.
John A. Logan (5-1), which scored first in all three stanzas, managed to get 11 kills from Christy Long and nine from Tara Ryterski, but were hindered by stretches of erratic serve receiving and attacking errors.
MAC was handed four free points on missed serves before scoring seven of the final eight during the opening game. Balandzic overpowered the Lady Vols with consecutive kills to give the home team a three-point lead, and Pinson served five straight points including an ace that made it 23-17.
Mineral Area began game two with a passive tipping approach at the net, and the more aggressive Lady Vols capitalized by building an 8-2 lead behind cross-court smashes from Long and Ashley Perry.
A difficult dig by middle hitter Jessica Hill was eventually sent down by Balandzic as the Lady Cardinals chipped away at their deficit. Haley Motley completed the comeback at 14-14 with a solo block, and MAC assumed the lead to stay when a Logan set failed to connect.
Another pivotal rally ended with a Hill block after Pinson kept action alive with two diving digs. Stanley then finished the middle game strong with two left-side kills that sandwiched an ace from Chelsey Politte.
Hill hustled back to the middle for a solo stuff after having a wrap-around attack stopped by the Logan defense in an impressive individual sequence during game three, and Mineral Area appeared to have the match sealed at 17-12 when Sinclair dropped a surprise second touch over for a point.
The Lady Vols stormed back with a series of late kills, including two powerful ones from Ryterski, and eventually drew even at 23-23 on a net violation. However, Motley answered with a clutch spike from the middle past two blockers, and Logan missed long with an attack on match point.
The teams are scheduled to meet again on Friday night in pool play at the McKendree Tournament in Lebanon, Ill.
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