BLANCHARDVILLE — Before Pecatonica even took the court against Barneveld in a pivotal Six Rivers East matchup on Sept. 30, the Vikings were at a disadvantage. Middle hitter Maddy Cleary, who recently had 22 kills against Argyle, was carried off the court in warm-ups due to an ankle injury. 

“Our team has had to play through so much adversity,” Pecatonica head coach Melissa Schlimgen said. “She (Cleary) went down in warm-ups tonight, so that had a big impact on our lineup. I feel like our team has been really flexible and able to play in any position. I’m really proud of the girls.”

Even with players out of position, Pecatonica took Barneveld to four sets but fell short 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 27-25. The Eagles, who have received honorable mention votes in the last four WisSports.net Coaches Polls, remain undefeated in conference play. They need to win two of their next four matches to secure at least a share of their second straight league title.

But Pecatonica played with the defending conference champions through much of the match. Loretta Tisch began the first game with back-to-back kills, including a free ball that found a hole in the back row. With Cleary out of the lineup, Tisch knew she, Diana Hendrickson and Mikaela Gross would have to step up on offense. 

“It pushed us mentally a lot,” Tisch said of Cleary being out. “Everyone had to step up and take on a different role they may not be used to playing.”

Barneveld and Pecatonica went on to exchange points, tying the first set eight times and alternating the lead another three times. It wasn’t until the Eagles’ 6-point run late in the game that either team had a significant advantage.

Freshman Lila Schlimgen had a service error, and on the next ball, no Viking was there for the set. Barneveld tied the game at 15 then took the lead on back-to-back aces from Jayda Oimoen. More inexperience and lack of communication led to a dropped ball, giving the Eagles a 17-15 lead. After another ace from Oimoen, coach Schlimgen called her second timeout.

“We’ve had to put in quite a few underclassmen — Lila Schlimgen, Katelynne Jorenby. These girls have had to step into positions that they aren’t ready for,” coach Schlimgen said. “My upperclassmen support them on the court — they have their backs and they trust each other. They build them up to make sure we have the best team out there that we can.”

But the timeout did little to slow Barneveld, which closed the first set on a 7-3 run.

Barneveld continued its run in the second game, jumping out to a 7-2 lead, as Hendrickson struggled to find her swing. But setter Tatum Kurschner kept feeding her, resulting in back-to-back kills.

“It was great. I definitely appreciate Tatum feeding me,” Hendrickson said. “It felt good to be swinging again.”

Hendrickson’s spark lasted only so long, as Barneveld nearly doubled up Pecatonica, 13-7, with a 4-point rally, where three of the four points came on Viking errors. The Eagles maintained the 6-point lead until late in the set, when miscommunication led to a dropped ball, which gave Pecatonica some life.

On the next point, Gross dug out an attack, got back up off the floor and swung for a kill. Her hustle was contagious for the rest of the team, as Kurschner hit the floor to keep a rally alive. Tisch then sent a free ball over, and Barneveld committed an attack error to cede the point.

From that moment on, Pecatonica had momentum. Narrowly trailing 23-20, Gross went to the service line for the last five points. She had two aces, and Tisch put the game away with a tip on an overpass.

“It was just wanting it for each other and really pushing each other,” Tisch said of the second-set comeback.

This time, Pecatonica got off to a quick start in the third game. Tisch tied the set with a kill off the Barneveld block. She had another two kills in the 7-point run. But during an attack, Hendrickson rolled her ankle and exited the game. While she was on the bench, Barneveld rallied from behind. The Eagles tied the set at 10, 13 and 14 before going on a 6-point run to take a 20-14 lead.

“Barneveld is a smart team,” coach Schlimgen said. “She (head coach Martina Reuter) knows where to put the ball; she is a very smart coach that way. I’d say they worked that (Hendrickson’s) spot. We defended pretty well, but again there were girls in positions they aren’t used to playing. We adjusted quickly, but against a tough team like Barneveld, that isn’t enough.”

With her ankle wrapped up, Hendrickson reentered the game in a big way with a kill in her first rotation back. After an Eagle attack error, Hendrickson had another kill to trim Barneveld’s lead to just two points.

Out of a timeout, Barneveld went on 4-point run. The Vikings held off the Eagles for four set points, but an attack error ultimately gave Barneveld the 25-22 victory and an advantageous 2-1 game lead.

Down to their last chance, the Vikings gave everything they had in set four. They tied the game eight times with four different lead changes. 

Pecatonica’s latest lead was sparked by a 4-point run in which Tisch had three of the four points. Her last point, which tied the set at 16, came after making a one-handed diving dig to keep the rally alive. After a service error, the Vikings went on another 4-point run, again capped by Tisch. Her first swing was dug out, but she attacked the same spot on her second attempt for a kill.

But mistakes allowed Barneveld to get back into the game. The Vikings had two attack errors — including a free ball error — a service error and two ball handling errors. The second double called on Kurnscher set up match point.

The Vikings didn’t back down, taking advantage of an attack error. Sophomore Aleah Harris then went to the line for back-to-back aces to give her team a 25-24 advantage. But Pecatonica lost the final three points, ceding the match.

“It’s a strong rivalry. It fuels us. It’s also a mental challenge,” Hendrickson said of playing Barneveld. “I think we did a good job overall of overcoming that mental block playing them. We just stuck together and did our best.”

Tisch stepped up in the absence of Cleary with a team-high 24 kills. Hendrickson chipped in seven and Gross six. Kurschner tallied 28 of the team’s 32 assists. Pecatonica had 10 aces, led by Harris with four.