MONROE - The Cheesemakers closed out its volleyball regular season winless in the Badger South. On Tuesday, Monroe lost to Oregon in straight sets 25-15, 26-24, 25-13.
"They lack drive," Monroe coach Danya Ward said of her team. "Not discipline or determination. It's drive. It's the enthusiasm, that 'Ahh, I've got to have it.'"
It was senior night, so if the upperclassmen needed any extra motivation to get their first win of the season in the last home game ever, there it was.
"We always get so pumped up before games," said senior Kirstie Hinojosa. "But then we just go and die on the court. It's a totally different team in the locker room and in practice than when we hit the court."
The Cheesemakers opened the match flat, failing to gain any momentum whatsoever and let Oregon take off on a 13-4 run that closed out Game 1. In the second set, the Panthers kept it up, reaching a 17-10 lead at one point. Then, Monroe decided to make a game of it.
The Cheesemakers rattled off a four-point rally to bring it back to 17-14 after a pair of defenders ran into the net on separate volleys. Oregon shortly regained control to extend its advantage back to five, but Monroe would have none of it.
Sophomore Taylor Barrett scored a key point on a block to give the Cheesemakers back the serve, and Ashley Curtis went on a roll. Curtis dropped six straight serves in play as Monroe rallied to take a 20-19 lead. A failed return gave Oregon the side-out, but Monroe scored four straight points later to force a second Panthers timeout, trailing 24-20.
"It feels good being the one forcing them to call a timeout," Ward said.
But then the Cheese spoiled quickly.
"We get to a point where we just get comfortable and stay there," Hinojosa said, adding that getting out early and staying on top is a rare accomplishment. "Or a team will get too far ahead of us when we realize that we do have to push."
As has happened on multiple occasions this year, Monroe failed to deliver that final point in a crucial game. Oregon scored six straight points thanks to strong defensive positioning. The Cheesemakers continued setting up Hinojosa on the outside for a kill shot, each time being blocked or dug up without much trouble.
"I really don't know why that happened. I tell them to go middle 90 percent of the time, but then the ball goes outside. They toot to their own horn," Ward said. "They are waiting for the other team to make the mistake."
Oregon's late rally ended with the Cheesemakers failing to return a volley, and the mood went from "It could be tied" to "Oh no, down again."
With that in mind, it's no wonder Oregon, littered with sophomores and juniors that will return again next year, dominated the final set.
Playoffs start next Tuesday, and the Cheesemakers will soon find out where they will play - Dodgeville, Edgerton, Evansville, Mount Horeb, Platteville or Beloit Turner.
"We're looking forward to regionals, but next year we're looking for things to change," Ward said. "I'm looking forward to training the sophomores that are coming up. We have some good sophomores that were definitely on the edge of moving up, but I thought it would be better for them to be a starter on JV and make sure that they had playing time to develop before moving up."
"They lack drive," Monroe coach Danya Ward said of her team. "Not discipline or determination. It's drive. It's the enthusiasm, that 'Ahh, I've got to have it.'"
It was senior night, so if the upperclassmen needed any extra motivation to get their first win of the season in the last home game ever, there it was.
"We always get so pumped up before games," said senior Kirstie Hinojosa. "But then we just go and die on the court. It's a totally different team in the locker room and in practice than when we hit the court."
The Cheesemakers opened the match flat, failing to gain any momentum whatsoever and let Oregon take off on a 13-4 run that closed out Game 1. In the second set, the Panthers kept it up, reaching a 17-10 lead at one point. Then, Monroe decided to make a game of it.
The Cheesemakers rattled off a four-point rally to bring it back to 17-14 after a pair of defenders ran into the net on separate volleys. Oregon shortly regained control to extend its advantage back to five, but Monroe would have none of it.
Sophomore Taylor Barrett scored a key point on a block to give the Cheesemakers back the serve, and Ashley Curtis went on a roll. Curtis dropped six straight serves in play as Monroe rallied to take a 20-19 lead. A failed return gave Oregon the side-out, but Monroe scored four straight points later to force a second Panthers timeout, trailing 24-20.
"It feels good being the one forcing them to call a timeout," Ward said.
But then the Cheese spoiled quickly.
"We get to a point where we just get comfortable and stay there," Hinojosa said, adding that getting out early and staying on top is a rare accomplishment. "Or a team will get too far ahead of us when we realize that we do have to push."
As has happened on multiple occasions this year, Monroe failed to deliver that final point in a crucial game. Oregon scored six straight points thanks to strong defensive positioning. The Cheesemakers continued setting up Hinojosa on the outside for a kill shot, each time being blocked or dug up without much trouble.
"I really don't know why that happened. I tell them to go middle 90 percent of the time, but then the ball goes outside. They toot to their own horn," Ward said. "They are waiting for the other team to make the mistake."
Oregon's late rally ended with the Cheesemakers failing to return a volley, and the mood went from "It could be tied" to "Oh no, down again."
With that in mind, it's no wonder Oregon, littered with sophomores and juniors that will return again next year, dominated the final set.
Playoffs start next Tuesday, and the Cheesemakers will soon find out where they will play - Dodgeville, Edgerton, Evansville, Mount Horeb, Platteville or Beloit Turner.
"We're looking forward to regionals, but next year we're looking for things to change," Ward said. "I'm looking forward to training the sophomores that are coming up. We have some good sophomores that were definitely on the edge of moving up, but I thought it would be better for them to be a starter on JV and make sure that they had playing time to develop before moving up."
