MONTICELLO — With a ‘beatable’ opponent in winless Juda, Monticello tried some new tactics in a WIAA Division 5 regional quarterfinal game on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Despite some trials and errors, the Ponies swept the Panthers 25-11, 25-12, 25-8.
“I knew I wanted to mix in some other players tonight. Like any coach going into tournament right now, I want to pull some strings,” Monticello head coach Ali Zimmerman said. “It might be crazy, but if something isn’t working previously, I want to try something else.”
The new strategy led to a slow start for Monticello, as Juda had an early 5-4 lead. But the mistakes began to mount for the Panthers, who totaled 11 attack errors and two service errors in the first set alone. Mixed in with the errors, Dalana Trumpy had a pair of kills.
The string of plays led to a 15-9 Monticello lead. Juda head coach Miranda Pollansky called a timeout to slow the Ponies, but the effort was futile. The Panthers scored just two more points in the first game — both of which occurred on Monticello errors.
Juda got off to a slow start once again in the second set, but Monticello bailed the Panthers out. Sadie Wilkins and Braelynn Holz had back-to-back attack errors. Makenna Scheidegger kept momentum on Juda’s side with a block on an overpass. With a Pony service error, the Panthers closed within one, 6-5.
“The serving tonight, for me, was not great. We had way too many missed serves,” Zimmerman said, referencing her team’s nine total service errors — four alone in the second set. “We came off just playing Barneveld in three sets, where we only missed three serves.”
More miscues at the service line allowed Juda to hang around, but Monticello finally pulled away with a 9-point rally. The Panthers committed four straight attack errors — one on a free ball — before Pollansky called a timeout.
Wilkins kept the streak going out of the break with a tip kill. Zimmerman also subbed in freshmen Khloe Hudson and Natalie Cupps, who saw success.
Monticello’s lead reached 10 points, 21-11, as Juda let the ball drop due to lack of communication. Trumpy pressed further with an ace, and Holz found a hole in the back row with a push. Cupps tallied her second kill, and middle hitter Jillian Ryan put the second game away with a kill.
“It’s very fun,” Ryan said of playing the middle. “My most favorite thing is the overpass because I can just slam it down. Blocks, too. It feels really good to just shut them down.”
Although Monticello had troubles from the service line in the second game, Kennadee Johnson remedied those in the third. She served up three straight aces, attacking the middle of the back row.
“I know when I have Kennadee or Dalana on the line, we are golden,” Zimmerman said. “I know there will be a streak there and I can play around a little bit.”
Juda found a little spark, getting back within one. Rianna Sullivan and Ryleigh Brown blocked a Trumpy attack, and Phoenix Homan went back to the service line for two aces. But Trumpy regained momentum with a tip kill and went back to the line for another 5-point rally.
With the Pony serves heating up, Pollansky subbed in different players to the back row, hoping something would stick. But the Panthers were in too big of a mental rut to dig themselves out.
Madi Hauser’s first ace gave Monticello a 10-point lead.
Kameron Simpson broke up the Pony run with a kill, but Monticello closed out the match on a 6-point rally. The final point came on a hustle play from Aubrey McCullough, who dove to keep a volley alive, but her momentum took her under the net.
Juda (0-14, 0-11) ended its season without a win — its last victory occurring on Aug. 30, 2022 against Argyle. While the Panthers graduate three seniors, they will return a handful of underclassmen that will have even more varsity experience for the 2025 season.
With the win, 4-seed Monticello (12-8, 8-4 Six Rivers East) advances to a WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal at 5-seed Shullsburg (11-11, 9-3 Six Rivers West). The Miners tied for second in conference with Belmont. Planning ahead, Zimmerman knows it will be crucial to manage middle hitter Taylor Russell, who was a first-team all-conference selection in 2023.
“She’s got like 300 kills and 30 blocks, so I know the ball is going to her every time. I’m hoping we can shut her down,” Zimmerman said. “We really need to go out guns blazing on this one.”
