JUDA - With most players donning pink shoelaces and hair ties in a pink out match as a fundraiser for cancer research, Juda sophomore Sara Jordan was relieved the Panthers could pull out a four-set win over Black Hawk Tuesday.
"It was definitely motivation," said Jordan, who had a team-high eight kills and 20 digs. "I'm really happy we pulled through. When it's so close it's nerve-wracking."
Juda outlasted Black Hawk to win 28-26, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20. Three of the four sets came down to the wire and were filled with many lead changes and momentum swings.
"There was no surrender on either side of the net," Juda coach Scott Anderson said. "I think both teams poured everything out there. I think it was a fun volleyball match to watch. Our girls were pumped up for that (pink out match). It was a big win for our program at the end of the year."
Black Hawk (4-6 Six Rivers East) jumped out to a 17-10 lead in the first set. Juda senior Morgan Adkins scored on a tip and had a kill to cut the Warriors' lead to 20-17 to spark the Panthers' comeback. The Panthers (11-9, 4-6) relied on the tip for most of the first two sets and found success finding the open spots against the Warriors. The Warriors were called for an illegal set late in the first game to tie it at 20. Black Hawk junior Kayla Sigafus responded with a kill to give the Warriors a short-lived 22-20 lead.
The Panthers scored two points on tips from Jordan to take a 24-23 lead. Juda sophomore Chelsea Burkhalter delivered an ace later in the set to give the Panthers a 26-25 lead. The Warriors were called for a net violation that gave the Panthers the game-winning point. Adkins finished with five kills and a match-high 23 digs. Burkhalter had 21 digs and 12 assists.
"We always talk about playing with great effort," Anderson said. "It doesn't matter how far the ball is out we will go for it. This team will go all out. The important thing is getting the ball in the air."
In the second set, Black Hawk junior Aleigha Sigafus had three kills late in the set to give the Warriors a 21-20 lead. Black Hawk sophomore Sam Lovelace scored on a tip and junior Brooke Moore had a block to help the Warriors take a 24-20 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
"It was our goal to adjust," Black Hawk coach Rachel Wolff said. "I was hoping it wouldn't have taken us so long to adjust. They knew when we weren't ready."
Black Hawk's Aleigha Sigafus had a match-high 10 kills. Moore had a match-high 16 assists and three aces. Kayla Sigafus had three blocks and Lovelace added three aces.
Wolff admires the way the Panthers play.
"Juda is a scrappy team," she said. "They don't make a lot of mistakes because they keep the ball in the air. I tell my girls all the time that (Juda) is who we want to emulate because I think we have the power in the front row."
Kayla Sigafus had a key block for Black Hawk to help the Warriors build a 12-9 lead in the third set. The Panthers answered with Jordan scoring four straight service points late in the set including two aces to give the Panthers a 19-14 lead they wouldn't squander. Juda senior Cheyenne Ambler had a tip and added two kills as the Panthers' lead ballooned to 21-17. Juda freshman MacKenzie Byrne had two aces to close out the 25-17 win in the third set. Bryne had a match-high five aces and added 11 assists.
"Cheyenne Ambler, Alexis Goecks and Sara Jordan had some really good touches," Anderson said. "I thought we swung well tonight. When we attack we kept them out of their system."
The fourth set was a see-saw battle just like two of the first three sets. Ambler had a kill to force a sideout and the Panthers got solid production from senior Katlyn Steinmann, who had a key kill to give the Panthers a 20-18 lead. The Warriors made a couple of hitting errors late and struggled with a miscommunication on a serve receive late in the set.
The Warriors played without senior starting setter Alexis Warrell, who has a broken ankle and will miss the rest of the season.
"When we made mistakes, they (Juda) capitalized," Wolff said. "We have done a nice job adjusting in her absence. We are going without our starting setter and I think it says a lot about the girls that we are still competitive."
"It was definitely motivation," said Jordan, who had a team-high eight kills and 20 digs. "I'm really happy we pulled through. When it's so close it's nerve-wracking."
Juda outlasted Black Hawk to win 28-26, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20. Three of the four sets came down to the wire and were filled with many lead changes and momentum swings.
"There was no surrender on either side of the net," Juda coach Scott Anderson said. "I think both teams poured everything out there. I think it was a fun volleyball match to watch. Our girls were pumped up for that (pink out match). It was a big win for our program at the end of the year."
Black Hawk (4-6 Six Rivers East) jumped out to a 17-10 lead in the first set. Juda senior Morgan Adkins scored on a tip and had a kill to cut the Warriors' lead to 20-17 to spark the Panthers' comeback. The Panthers (11-9, 4-6) relied on the tip for most of the first two sets and found success finding the open spots against the Warriors. The Warriors were called for an illegal set late in the first game to tie it at 20. Black Hawk junior Kayla Sigafus responded with a kill to give the Warriors a short-lived 22-20 lead.
The Panthers scored two points on tips from Jordan to take a 24-23 lead. Juda sophomore Chelsea Burkhalter delivered an ace later in the set to give the Panthers a 26-25 lead. The Warriors were called for a net violation that gave the Panthers the game-winning point. Adkins finished with five kills and a match-high 23 digs. Burkhalter had 21 digs and 12 assists.
"We always talk about playing with great effort," Anderson said. "It doesn't matter how far the ball is out we will go for it. This team will go all out. The important thing is getting the ball in the air."
In the second set, Black Hawk junior Aleigha Sigafus had three kills late in the set to give the Warriors a 21-20 lead. Black Hawk sophomore Sam Lovelace scored on a tip and junior Brooke Moore had a block to help the Warriors take a 24-20 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
"It was our goal to adjust," Black Hawk coach Rachel Wolff said. "I was hoping it wouldn't have taken us so long to adjust. They knew when we weren't ready."
Black Hawk's Aleigha Sigafus had a match-high 10 kills. Moore had a match-high 16 assists and three aces. Kayla Sigafus had three blocks and Lovelace added three aces.
Wolff admires the way the Panthers play.
"Juda is a scrappy team," she said. "They don't make a lot of mistakes because they keep the ball in the air. I tell my girls all the time that (Juda) is who we want to emulate because I think we have the power in the front row."
Kayla Sigafus had a key block for Black Hawk to help the Warriors build a 12-9 lead in the third set. The Panthers answered with Jordan scoring four straight service points late in the set including two aces to give the Panthers a 19-14 lead they wouldn't squander. Juda senior Cheyenne Ambler had a tip and added two kills as the Panthers' lead ballooned to 21-17. Juda freshman MacKenzie Byrne had two aces to close out the 25-17 win in the third set. Bryne had a match-high five aces and added 11 assists.
"Cheyenne Ambler, Alexis Goecks and Sara Jordan had some really good touches," Anderson said. "I thought we swung well tonight. When we attack we kept them out of their system."
The fourth set was a see-saw battle just like two of the first three sets. Ambler had a kill to force a sideout and the Panthers got solid production from senior Katlyn Steinmann, who had a key kill to give the Panthers a 20-18 lead. The Warriors made a couple of hitting errors late and struggled with a miscommunication on a serve receive late in the set.
The Warriors played without senior starting setter Alexis Warrell, who has a broken ankle and will miss the rest of the season.
"When we made mistakes, they (Juda) capitalized," Wolff said. "We have done a nice job adjusting in her absence. We are going without our starting setter and I think it says a lot about the girls that we are still competitive."
