MONTICELLO - Having a superstar setter in prep volleyball is like a baseball team with dominating middle relief in its bullpen to bridge the game to the closer.
A setter in volleyball is just as unheralded as a middle reliever, but vital to success.
Monticello senior setter Courtney Erb, who had a match-high 25 assists, was a catalyst in kick-starting the offense Tuesday. After dropping the first game to Pecatonica, Monticello (8-17, 5-3 Six Rivers East) stormed back to win the next three games to pull out the match win, 15-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-19.
Erb thought parents night motivated the Ponies.
"After that first game, we got the fire going to show our parents what we could do," Erb said.
When asked if she thought this was the Ponies' biggest win this year, Monticello coach Marian Anderson didn't hesitate.
"I would say on that level, 'Yes,' " Anderson said.
Anderson praised Erb for making the hitters' job easier.
"She's our go-to girl," Anderson said. "She gets everything. She seems to get to them and takes charge."
Monticello jumped to a 7-3 lead in the second game behind four of senior Rachel Nelson's five aces in the match. Monticello junior Olivia Doyle extended the scoring streak with four straight service points to give the Ponies a 16-6 lead they never surrendered.
Nelson jump-started the Ponies with seven straight service points in the third game, which featured kills by junior Sadi Hilliard, Haley Blum and Sarah Silver to push the lead to 21-15. Hilliard had a team-high 11 kills.
In the final game, the Ponies jumped to a 16-9 lead. The Vikings battled back and cut the lead to 19-16 on a kill by junior Kimee Chandler, but the Vikings got no closer.
Nelson thinks winning a four-game match against the Vikings could be a springboard.
"I think we still have our ups and downs," Nelson said. "We are getting better. I think we are really better than we think we are."
Pecatonica (10-4, 6-2) was playing without Six Rivers All-Conference hitter Brittany Kent, who was suffering from the flu. The Vikings also are adjusting to a new service receive alignment developed this week, which calls on three players back on service receive instead of four.
"With only three girls back, there is less hesitation," Pecatonica co-coach Cher Schliem said.
Schliem said there is less confusion about who will take the pass first.
The Vikings were led by junior Cassie Swenson, who had eight kills, and senior Morgan Pien with 12 assists.
"I think we just allowed them to have too many opportunities," Schliem said. "I think our intensity dropped a notch. We just kind of took ourselves out of the games at times."
A setter in volleyball is just as unheralded as a middle reliever, but vital to success.
Monticello senior setter Courtney Erb, who had a match-high 25 assists, was a catalyst in kick-starting the offense Tuesday. After dropping the first game to Pecatonica, Monticello (8-17, 5-3 Six Rivers East) stormed back to win the next three games to pull out the match win, 15-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-19.
Erb thought parents night motivated the Ponies.
"After that first game, we got the fire going to show our parents what we could do," Erb said.
When asked if she thought this was the Ponies' biggest win this year, Monticello coach Marian Anderson didn't hesitate.
"I would say on that level, 'Yes,' " Anderson said.
Anderson praised Erb for making the hitters' job easier.
"She's our go-to girl," Anderson said. "She gets everything. She seems to get to them and takes charge."
Monticello jumped to a 7-3 lead in the second game behind four of senior Rachel Nelson's five aces in the match. Monticello junior Olivia Doyle extended the scoring streak with four straight service points to give the Ponies a 16-6 lead they never surrendered.
Nelson jump-started the Ponies with seven straight service points in the third game, which featured kills by junior Sadi Hilliard, Haley Blum and Sarah Silver to push the lead to 21-15. Hilliard had a team-high 11 kills.
In the final game, the Ponies jumped to a 16-9 lead. The Vikings battled back and cut the lead to 19-16 on a kill by junior Kimee Chandler, but the Vikings got no closer.
Nelson thinks winning a four-game match against the Vikings could be a springboard.
"I think we still have our ups and downs," Nelson said. "We are getting better. I think we are really better than we think we are."
Pecatonica (10-4, 6-2) was playing without Six Rivers All-Conference hitter Brittany Kent, who was suffering from the flu. The Vikings also are adjusting to a new service receive alignment developed this week, which calls on three players back on service receive instead of four.
"With only three girls back, there is less hesitation," Pecatonica co-coach Cher Schliem said.
Schliem said there is less confusion about who will take the pass first.
The Vikings were led by junior Cassie Swenson, who had eight kills, and senior Morgan Pien with 12 assists.
"I think we just allowed them to have too many opportunities," Schliem said. "I think our intensity dropped a notch. We just kind of took ourselves out of the games at times."
