SOUTH WAYNE - In the final regular season match of the season, Argyle knocked off Black Hawk in four sets behind 17 aces.
"It was kind of fun coming into the game for both teams, having something to play for. We were playing for second place in conference," Black Hawk coach Rachel Wolff said.
Argyle took Game 1 25-16 without much fanfare, and then held off the Warriors in a tight second set 25-20. In the third game, Black Hawk stormed back to score a 25-23 win, clinched by a 5-1 run to close out the frame. The Orioles had some more pressure against them in Game 4, but managed to come back and pull out a 27-25 win.
"We're notorious for coming out slow, and I think that hurt us down the stretch. In volleyball you can't wait to long or the momentum swings in one direction and you can't get it back very easily," Wolff said. "After Game 1 we worked out some kinks and gave them a better run."
With playoffs just around the corner, both teams cherished a regular season finale against a quality opponent.
"Black Hawk is a strong team, and they do a lot of the same things that we're going to be seeing from here on out," Argyle coach Shane Johnson said. "We put a fair number of aces, but we certainly missed quite a few. It changed the complexion of the match."
"This is the time you want to be playing our best. Argyle is a great team and with the servers that they have, we knew it was going to be tough for us," Wolff said. "To be able to play with them and not be done in three games says a lot about our team. We've got a lot more potential than what we're showing."
For Argyle junior Kayla Ostby, just beating Black Hawk on the road was enough, something the Orioles had never done in her time in high school.
"It's intense. They are a good team and we had to play our 'A' game," said Ostby, who had 33 assists in the match. "We're lucky we got a couple of breaks. We were excited because this was like our warm-up game for regionals. I'm glad we got Black Hawk before our first (playoff) game. We needed to face a good team like this."
Micala Peterson had five aces and 22 digs for Argyle. Abby Flanagan had seven kills, and three others had six. Jen Wellnitz led Black Hawk with 11 kills and Kayla Meier had three blocks.
"We took away her strongest shot and forced her (Wellnitz) into a position to tip more," Johnson said of diffusing Black Hawk's biggest offensive weapon.
Johnson said he would give his team a 3-day weekend, saying the players had earned it.
"Do you want a cliché? 'One game at a time,'" Johnson said. "A three-day weekend will give them the break they need to rest some nagging injuries and give me a chance to get prepared on what we want to do about Ithaca.
"(Our girls) have done a stand-up job all year. Of our six losses (overall), every one of them came in the final match. Nobody beat us 3-1, nobody beat us 3-0. They believe, and I believe that we can run with a lot of real good teams."
Argyle, the No. 2 seed, will host Ithaca on Tuesday in the first round of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs, with the winner playing either Pecatonica at home, or reigning champion Highland on the road Thursday.
"We are excited," Ostby said of hosting the first round match. "Our crowd is amazing."
Black Hawk, a No. 4 seed, hosts Williams Bay the same night. Should they win, the Warriors would get on the road to play at No. 1 seeded Burlington Catholic Central, a team that has three titles in the last five years, and took runner up at state a year ago.
"It was kind of fun coming into the game for both teams, having something to play for. We were playing for second place in conference," Black Hawk coach Rachel Wolff said.
Argyle took Game 1 25-16 without much fanfare, and then held off the Warriors in a tight second set 25-20. In the third game, Black Hawk stormed back to score a 25-23 win, clinched by a 5-1 run to close out the frame. The Orioles had some more pressure against them in Game 4, but managed to come back and pull out a 27-25 win.
"We're notorious for coming out slow, and I think that hurt us down the stretch. In volleyball you can't wait to long or the momentum swings in one direction and you can't get it back very easily," Wolff said. "After Game 1 we worked out some kinks and gave them a better run."
With playoffs just around the corner, both teams cherished a regular season finale against a quality opponent.
"Black Hawk is a strong team, and they do a lot of the same things that we're going to be seeing from here on out," Argyle coach Shane Johnson said. "We put a fair number of aces, but we certainly missed quite a few. It changed the complexion of the match."
"This is the time you want to be playing our best. Argyle is a great team and with the servers that they have, we knew it was going to be tough for us," Wolff said. "To be able to play with them and not be done in three games says a lot about our team. We've got a lot more potential than what we're showing."
For Argyle junior Kayla Ostby, just beating Black Hawk on the road was enough, something the Orioles had never done in her time in high school.
"It's intense. They are a good team and we had to play our 'A' game," said Ostby, who had 33 assists in the match. "We're lucky we got a couple of breaks. We were excited because this was like our warm-up game for regionals. I'm glad we got Black Hawk before our first (playoff) game. We needed to face a good team like this."
Micala Peterson had five aces and 22 digs for Argyle. Abby Flanagan had seven kills, and three others had six. Jen Wellnitz led Black Hawk with 11 kills and Kayla Meier had three blocks.
"We took away her strongest shot and forced her (Wellnitz) into a position to tip more," Johnson said of diffusing Black Hawk's biggest offensive weapon.
Johnson said he would give his team a 3-day weekend, saying the players had earned it.
"Do you want a cliché? 'One game at a time,'" Johnson said. "A three-day weekend will give them the break they need to rest some nagging injuries and give me a chance to get prepared on what we want to do about Ithaca.
"(Our girls) have done a stand-up job all year. Of our six losses (overall), every one of them came in the final match. Nobody beat us 3-1, nobody beat us 3-0. They believe, and I believe that we can run with a lot of real good teams."
Argyle, the No. 2 seed, will host Ithaca on Tuesday in the first round of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs, with the winner playing either Pecatonica at home, or reigning champion Highland on the road Thursday.
"We are excited," Ostby said of hosting the first round match. "Our crowd is amazing."
Black Hawk, a No. 4 seed, hosts Williams Bay the same night. Should they win, the Warriors would get on the road to play at No. 1 seeded Burlington Catholic Central, a team that has three titles in the last five years, and took runner up at state a year ago.
