ALBANY - There is an adage in sports that says the third win against any team in a season is difficult to achieve.
Albany's volleyball team can attest to that, after narrowly avoiding a Monticello upset bid in a first-round WIAA Division 4 regional match Tuesday. The Comets prevailed 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 25-11, 15-10.
"It's nice to beat them three times in a year," Albany coach Connie Wunschel said. "What do they say - it's not easy. We are proof of that.
"I knew tonight - one and done, (Monticello) would play hard. I told the girls; you can't come out overconfident and lazy."
In the decisive fifth game, the Comets jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind some dominant net play by sophomore Sydney Bump, who highlighted the run with a block and kill.
Monticello junior Olivia Doyle helped the Ponies storm back with five straight service points, including an ace that just crept over the net to cut the Comets' lead to 11-10. After an Albany sideout, sophomore Kaitlyn Schulz hammered a kill that gave the Comets a 13-10 lead and provided the springboard in a must-win game.
Now Albany (13-7), the Williams Bay Regional's fourth seed, has the difficult task of traveling to defending state champ Burlington Catholic Central on Friday. Central, the regional's top seed, had a bye Tuesday.
The Comets cruised in the first game with Monticello, surging to a 12-6 lead and coasting.
But the Ponies ran to an 11-2 second-game lead after senior Courtney Erb, who had a match-high 35 assists, delivered six straight service points including three aces. The Comets, sparked by Bump (17 kills, 16 digs and four blocks), charged back to tie it at 21, but the Ponies hung on.
"We know the second game is kind of rough," Bump said. "We just played really hard the last game so we could finish. We just know how to pump it up and finish it off."
In the third game, the Ponies again jumped to a 10-2 lead with back-to-back Erb aces. The Comets chipped away at the deficit and tied the score at 12 on a tip by sophomore Hillary Best. Monticello senior Emma Fenner had two straight aces to help the Ponies pull out the third game.
Monticello coach Marian Anderson was proud of the way the Ponies battled.
"I think the game tonight against Albany is what I have been hoping to get out of them," Anderson said. "Win or lose, it's that position to work hard for every ball.
"I think once we got the momentum going and we just got to feel how that felt. That is what really got us through those two games. Everyone was on the same page."
Schulz jump-started Albany in the fourth game with seven straight service points and two aces to lead the Comets to an 11-3 lead. The Comets surged to an 18-8 advantage and never looked back.
That set the stages for a decisive fifth game.
"I told the girls, you can't spot them four points because it's almost impossible to overcome," Wunschel said.
Best had nine kills and Devan Brugger added eight more for the Comets. Albany sophomore Courtney Pfeuti racked up a team-high 27 assists and 14 digs. Clare Koopmans and Best also had 14 digs apiece.
For Monticello, Rachel Nelson finished with four kills and teammates Taylor Pfeuti and Sarah Silver each had two blocks.
Albany's volleyball team can attest to that, after narrowly avoiding a Monticello upset bid in a first-round WIAA Division 4 regional match Tuesday. The Comets prevailed 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 25-11, 15-10.
"It's nice to beat them three times in a year," Albany coach Connie Wunschel said. "What do they say - it's not easy. We are proof of that.
"I knew tonight - one and done, (Monticello) would play hard. I told the girls; you can't come out overconfident and lazy."
In the decisive fifth game, the Comets jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind some dominant net play by sophomore Sydney Bump, who highlighted the run with a block and kill.
Monticello junior Olivia Doyle helped the Ponies storm back with five straight service points, including an ace that just crept over the net to cut the Comets' lead to 11-10. After an Albany sideout, sophomore Kaitlyn Schulz hammered a kill that gave the Comets a 13-10 lead and provided the springboard in a must-win game.
Now Albany (13-7), the Williams Bay Regional's fourth seed, has the difficult task of traveling to defending state champ Burlington Catholic Central on Friday. Central, the regional's top seed, had a bye Tuesday.
The Comets cruised in the first game with Monticello, surging to a 12-6 lead and coasting.
But the Ponies ran to an 11-2 second-game lead after senior Courtney Erb, who had a match-high 35 assists, delivered six straight service points including three aces. The Comets, sparked by Bump (17 kills, 16 digs and four blocks), charged back to tie it at 21, but the Ponies hung on.
"We know the second game is kind of rough," Bump said. "We just played really hard the last game so we could finish. We just know how to pump it up and finish it off."
In the third game, the Ponies again jumped to a 10-2 lead with back-to-back Erb aces. The Comets chipped away at the deficit and tied the score at 12 on a tip by sophomore Hillary Best. Monticello senior Emma Fenner had two straight aces to help the Ponies pull out the third game.
Monticello coach Marian Anderson was proud of the way the Ponies battled.
"I think the game tonight against Albany is what I have been hoping to get out of them," Anderson said. "Win or lose, it's that position to work hard for every ball.
"I think once we got the momentum going and we just got to feel how that felt. That is what really got us through those two games. Everyone was on the same page."
Schulz jump-started Albany in the fourth game with seven straight service points and two aces to lead the Comets to an 11-3 lead. The Comets surged to an 18-8 advantage and never looked back.
That set the stages for a decisive fifth game.
"I told the girls, you can't spot them four points because it's almost impossible to overcome," Wunschel said.
Best had nine kills and Devan Brugger added eight more for the Comets. Albany sophomore Courtney Pfeuti racked up a team-high 27 assists and 14 digs. Clare Koopmans and Best also had 14 digs apiece.
For Monticello, Rachel Nelson finished with four kills and teammates Taylor Pfeuti and Sarah Silver each had two blocks.
