By MIKE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The Stevens Point Area Senior High School girls volleyball team has been in the same situation several times this season.
And Tuesday night's match with D.C. Everest was no different from what had happened earlier this year, except for one major thing. This time, the Panthers were in a close match and came away with a big win.
With the 15-10, 9-15, 15-4, 6-15, 15-11 victory, SPASH improved to 9-6 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference. The underclassmen-filled team, which had a 4-6 record not long ago, has matured quickly.
"They've really come together," SPASH coach Steve Wehrwein said. "We're three points from having three more wins in the Valley. To be able to finish a match like this, they've grown."
After the Panthers dropped to 4-6 in the WVC, Wehrwein said the team realized it couldn't win the conference crown and readjusted its goals.
"I told the kids not to hang their heads," he said. "I said, 'Let's redo and try for 10 wins in the Valley.' That's been our goal and we're one win away from it."
Closing within one victory of a 10 win conference season wasn't simple. The Panthers had to fight off the Evergreens, a team that just wouldn't go away.
After the teams split the first two games, SPASH exploded for its 15-4 win in the third game. The Panthers, behind the serve of Michele Rosicky, jumped to a 10-0 lead and never looked back. But the Evergreens bounced right back and built a 10-2 advantage in the fourth game, setting up the decisive fifth game.
In that game, SPASH built a 10-5 lead behind the strong net play of Rachel Kreuser, Amber Lenze, Mindy Slattery and Cassie Dudeck. Everest rallied again and tied it at 11-11.
From there, though, the Panthers took over. Kreuser had a tip kill to make it 12-11 and then the Evergreens couldn't get the ball over the net in three hits. SPASH got within a point of the victory when Michele Rosicky's serve fell between Brianna Brehm and Becky Roble.
The Panthers put it away on the next play, when Brehm went into the net while trying to block a SPASH spike.
"The Everest team has been a scrappy team all year," Wehrwein said. "They beat us in the same kind of match earlier in the season. We knew it would be that kind of match tonight."
Wehrwein said the net play of Kreuser - who had 27 kills - and Lenze - who had 14 kills - was a key to the win.
"They couldn't do the things at the net that we did," he said. "They really stepped up. They stepped up so well."
Michele Rosicky had 22 points and six aces on serves, while Beth Wright (19 assists) and Darcia Wesenberg (17 assists) helped set the table.
Wehrwein hopes the win will help catapult the Panthers into Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association postseason play.
"With the tournament coming up, to go into a five game match and to win is good," he said. "I'm glad Everest played well because it proves we can beat good teams."