NEW GLARUS - Right side senior hitter Ashley Gould may have played her final volleyball match in New Glarus and she wanted to go out with a bang.
Gould, a New Glarus senior, who will play volleyball at Cedarville University next year in Cedarville, Ohio, had a monster match with 22 kills and four blocks to power New Glarus to a 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 25-21 win over Highway 69 rival Belleville Thursday.
"It felt amazing," Gould said. "I couldn't have asked for anything better. We beat a team we never thought we could beat."
Belleville swept a match from the Glarner Knights (7-19, 3-7 Capitol South) earlier this season. What is the difference in the Knights' volleyball team late in the season with a regional rematch set for Tuesday, Oct. 21 in Belleville?
"Our confidence was better," Gould said. "We just really wanted it more."
The Glarner Knights battled back from a 15-10 deficit in the fourth set. New Glarus senior Trisha Wiese had three straight service points and one ace to cut the Wildcats' lead to 15-14. Gould had two powerful kills to spark the Knights. New Glarus sophomore Lydia Sprecher had a kill to tie the set at 21. The Wildcats were then called for a double hit and Sprecher delivered two more late kills to seal the win for the Knights.
"Ashley had a phenomenal night," New Glarus coach Kelsey Schmit said. "She didn't let it get in her head. She's a really good leader. We have some really strong hitters on this team with Ashley, Lydia and Devon (Boll)."
Early on, it looked like it could be a match that would go five sets. The first set was a see-saw affair. The Wildcats had a key service error and Gould came through with a block to give the Knights a 17-14 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Wildcats controlled the second set jumping out to a 18-12 lead. The Knights tried to rally with Gould scoring on a kill and junior Kati Way delivering an ace to cut the Wildcats' lead to 20-16. Belleville senior Elizabeth Erb, who had seven blocks, sealed the win with a block.
"The first time we played, Erb just put it down on us every time," Schmit said.
The Knights made an adjustment on Senior Night moving senior Justine Romich from right side hitter to the middle blocker position. The switch paid dividends.
"Our block was exactly where it needed to be," Schmit said. "She (Romich) was a blocking machine tonight. She did a wonderful job."
Both Sprecher and Devon Boll had seven kills for the Knights. New Glarus senior Breanne Kreklow racked up 41 assists. Senior Ashley Clark had 24 digs and two aces. Kreklow and Way both added two aces.
The Knights stormed out to a 10-3 lead in the third set. With Gould, Wiese and Boll dominating the net, the Knights built a big lead. Wiese scored on a big tip late in the set to give the Knights a 22-16 lead. Both teams had four service errors in the third set, but the Knights overcame the miscues.
Belleville sophomore Grace Schulting had a team-high 15 kills and sophomore Alli Kowalski had 10 assists and senior teammate Madeline Knox had 20 digs.
New Glarus will play in a WIAA Division 3 regional match at Belleville Tuesday.
"I always stress with our team we can't get cocky," Schmit said. "As well as we played we have a thousand things we can work on. Any team can beat anyone on any given night depending on how much they prepare. We know it will be a toss-up again."
Gould, a New Glarus senior, who will play volleyball at Cedarville University next year in Cedarville, Ohio, had a monster match with 22 kills and four blocks to power New Glarus to a 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 25-21 win over Highway 69 rival Belleville Thursday.
"It felt amazing," Gould said. "I couldn't have asked for anything better. We beat a team we never thought we could beat."
Belleville swept a match from the Glarner Knights (7-19, 3-7 Capitol South) earlier this season. What is the difference in the Knights' volleyball team late in the season with a regional rematch set for Tuesday, Oct. 21 in Belleville?
"Our confidence was better," Gould said. "We just really wanted it more."
The Glarner Knights battled back from a 15-10 deficit in the fourth set. New Glarus senior Trisha Wiese had three straight service points and one ace to cut the Wildcats' lead to 15-14. Gould had two powerful kills to spark the Knights. New Glarus sophomore Lydia Sprecher had a kill to tie the set at 21. The Wildcats were then called for a double hit and Sprecher delivered two more late kills to seal the win for the Knights.
"Ashley had a phenomenal night," New Glarus coach Kelsey Schmit said. "She didn't let it get in her head. She's a really good leader. We have some really strong hitters on this team with Ashley, Lydia and Devon (Boll)."
Early on, it looked like it could be a match that would go five sets. The first set was a see-saw affair. The Wildcats had a key service error and Gould came through with a block to give the Knights a 17-14 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Wildcats controlled the second set jumping out to a 18-12 lead. The Knights tried to rally with Gould scoring on a kill and junior Kati Way delivering an ace to cut the Wildcats' lead to 20-16. Belleville senior Elizabeth Erb, who had seven blocks, sealed the win with a block.
"The first time we played, Erb just put it down on us every time," Schmit said.
The Knights made an adjustment on Senior Night moving senior Justine Romich from right side hitter to the middle blocker position. The switch paid dividends.
"Our block was exactly where it needed to be," Schmit said. "She (Romich) was a blocking machine tonight. She did a wonderful job."
Both Sprecher and Devon Boll had seven kills for the Knights. New Glarus senior Breanne Kreklow racked up 41 assists. Senior Ashley Clark had 24 digs and two aces. Kreklow and Way both added two aces.
The Knights stormed out to a 10-3 lead in the third set. With Gould, Wiese and Boll dominating the net, the Knights built a big lead. Wiese scored on a big tip late in the set to give the Knights a 22-16 lead. Both teams had four service errors in the third set, but the Knights overcame the miscues.
Belleville sophomore Grace Schulting had a team-high 15 kills and sophomore Alli Kowalski had 10 assists and senior teammate Madeline Knox had 20 digs.
New Glarus will play in a WIAA Division 3 regional match at Belleville Tuesday.
"I always stress with our team we can't get cocky," Schmit said. "As well as we played we have a thousand things we can work on. Any team can beat anyone on any given night depending on how much they prepare. We know it will be a toss-up again."
