Minooka stays perfect in SPC
BY MIKE CUNNIFF
Herald Sports Editor
MINOOKA - The Minooka Lady Indians stayed unbeaten in the Southwest Prairie Conference while the Morris Lady Redskins are still seeking their first win following a Thursday match.
Minooka delighted a Homecoming crowd by belting 30 kills to post a 25-19 and 25-12 victory. The Lady Indians climbed to 6-0 in the SPC as a result while the Lady Redskins fall to 0-6.
“We were real focused,” pointed out Minooka coach Jill Nehring. “We were focused Tuesday night (in a key conference match against Plainfield North) but then last (Wednesday) night, we looked a little tired (while losing a non-conference loss to Neuqua Valley). I don't think we played our best tonight but we played well.”
“It was a better effort than Tuesday (in a SPC loss versus Plainfield South),” said Morris coach Amy Barr. “But they (the Lady Indians) were fast and they ran a quick tempo offense. We were not able to block that much and that makes it hard on your defense.”
Senior middle hitter Alex Hill accounted for nine kills to highlight a 30-8 advantage in that category for the Lady Indians. Senior outside hitter Brea Rivera tacked on six while junior outside hitter Jacki Kaluzny wound up with five.
“It was an average match, it wasn't one of my best,” said Hill. “I usually go up and try to hit some quicks and if they (the other team) has some strong blockers, then I will tip some. We were just all trying to get the game over as quick as possible. This was our third match in a row (in as many nights).”
Minooka got kills from five different players to amass 14 in the opener. Rivera had five and Brooke VanAsdlin three. The Lady Indians used three kills by Rivera and two from VanAsdlin to open up a 13-6 advantage in the first rotation.
Rivera sandwiched a pair of kills around a long hit by the Lady Redskins to fuel a three-point run by senior setter Lyndsay Kooi to make it 11-5. Rivera first cranked a kill out of a cross-court set before she downed a two-handed tip of an overpass.
An ace by Ashley Eining made it 16-9 before Morris junior outside hitter Hali Steffes etched a couple of points with a kill by Mel Stevens capping the surge. A sideout kill by Kaluzny enabled her to step to the stripe for a couple of markers (featuring kills by Kooi and Hill).
Two service errors, giving Minooka five in the game, enabled the Lady Redskins to sneak within 20-16 before Morris turned it over on a long serve. An ace by Jordan Rinehart of the Lady Redskins followed a Deanna Packley sideout kill. A kill by VanAsdlen via a Kooi backset made it 23-19. Two Megan McMillin points (the first being the third ace of the game by Minooka) closed it out.
A sideout kill by VanAsdlin gave serve to the Lady Indians early in game two. McMillin used a jump serve to rattle off four points that featured a Novak kill out of the right front between a couple of aces.
Morris rallied, with a Jenna Belt kill out of the left front backed by a stuff block by Stevens on Novak to deadlock the contest at 5-5. Another Novak kill, straight down the sideline out of the right front, sent Maggie Alkofer to the line where she collected two aces in a five-marker spurt.
Kaluzny downed a kill out of the left front before Hill arrowed a kill via an overpass before she tapped a kill over a solitary blocker. Kaluzny added three points (kills by Hill and Kooi) to make it 15-7. A jump serve ace by Hill , a Rivera kill on a Kooi serve stretched it out to 20-12.
Kaluzny then outtipped Alexa Rezin for a sideout, enabling Eining to end the match with four markers. Kaluzny put down a kill out of the left front before Hill scored on a tip, stuffed a spike by Stevens and then wailed a kill down the center slot.
“We played very well,” said Novak, who did not play in game one. “I was hoping to get a chance to play, depending on how the score was. I was just hoping to get a chance to hit or convert a good quick.”
Hill had seven kills in the nightcap while Kaluzny and Novak chipped in with three each. Kooi accounted for a trio of kills overall to go along with 18 assists and eight digs. Kaluzny had six digs and Rivera five.
McMillin led the Lady Indians, now 9-6-1 overall, with seven service points. Eining, Kaluzny and Alkofer added five apiece.
“We are still undefeated in the conference,” said Nehring. “We have Oswego left in the first round. We are right where we want to be in the conference. We have not stepped up to that level in non-conference matches but we will get better.”
Steffes countered with five points for Morris (now 3-14 on the season). Rezin had three and Rinehart two (both aces).
Sophomores
Minooka def. Morris
25-18, 25-22
Outside hitter Kiley Saunders had five kills two aces and four digs for Minooka (now 4-2 in the SPC and 9-6-1 overall). Outside hitter Jessica Rickey added two kills, an ace and three digs. Libero Kim Ramsak had two aces and nine digs. Setter Kala Ruettiger had an ace, four digs and five assists while middle hitter Caleigh Hill accounted for two kills, a pair of blocks and an ace.
Freshmen
Minooka def. Morris
8-25, 26-24, 25-18
Kinsey Minor put down five kills and had three assists for Minooka (5-1 and 6-5 overall) while Meaghan Alkofer picked up six aces, five digs and 12 assists. Taylor Edwards tacked on six digs and an ace.
Minooka took the “B” outing 25-27, 25-12 and 25-20 to become 6-0 in the SPC and 9-4 on the season.
