ARGYLE - Overcoming all odds is one of the things that makes sports exciting. On Tuesday, Juda's volleyball team rallied themselves from a 23-15 deficit in Game 3 - down two games - to knock off Argyle in five games.
"I was glad we could put something together," Panthers head coach Pam Green said after the Panthers' 18-25, 22-25, 27-25, 26-24, 15-11 win. "I know they are capable of playing well. It's nice to see it finally. They didn't put their heads down and came back and got that Game 5."
Juda had lost junior Courtney Moisan to an ankle injury leading 11-9 in the third game. Argyle went on the attack on the briefly stunned and depth-depleted Panthers, rattling of a 15-4 run to seemingly put the match away.
"We were like 'come on girls, we've got this,'" Juda's Katlyn DeVoe said. "We played really good as a team once we started getting into it. We knew we could come back from it."
Soon after, the Orioles saw their lead slip away, but twice put the score at game point.
"We let it get away," Argyle head coach Shane Johnson said. "It's a tough one to deal with tonight. We had plenty of opportunities - game point in game's three and four. We just missed our serves. We just simply need to go out and execute better."
A short serve, net violation and a deep return by the Orioles allowed Juda (1-7 Six Rivers East) to push the contest to a fourth game.
Argyle went on another mid-game run in Game 4 and held a 22-14 lead, only to again see Juda rally behind the serving of juniors C.J. Dunwiddie and DeVoe.
"Over and in," said DeVoe, whose team went on a 10-2 run to force a fifth set. "Volleyball is about not making a mistake and if you just hit (the serve) over the net you can let the other team make a mistake."
DeVoe finished with 20 service points on the night, including three aces. Dunwiddie had 11 service points and five aces, Ellen Kiser had eight kills and four blocks and Aly Pierce had 17 assists for the Panthers.
Juda kept the momentum in the fifth game, and never trailed. A quick 10-3 run put Argyle on the ropes, but the Orioles responded with an 8-2 rally of their own. In the end, an Argyle block out of bounds and short return pushed the Panthers to their first conference win of the season.
"After that last point, we just all went crazy," said DeVoe, added that the team's intensity picked up when Moisan returned to the lineup in the fifth game. "The first game we got down on ourselves. Once we got down it's hard to get back up. But we just kept going."
Johnson doesn't know what he can do to rally his team, which has shown the ability to play with Albany and Black Hawk - the conference's top two teams - but has also lost its last two matches to teams in the bottom of the standings; Pecatonica (2-5) and Juda.
"We've had trouble finishing matches when we've had leads and we've dug ourselves into a few holes," Johnson said. "We've talked about the ability to handle pressure. Times like this, there's only so much we can do from the sidelines as a coaching staff. When push comes to shove, the girls need to go out and execute and minimize the errors."
Micala Peterson had 18 kills for Argyle with teammates Danielle Treuthardt (13 kills, five aces) and Abby Flanagan (7 kills, 20 digs) adding to the offensive attack. Kayla Ostby dished out 42 assists for the Orioles.
Argyle (3-5) gets back into action Thursday at home against Barneveld (5-2) while Juda hosts Monticello (2-5).
"I'm hoping we can keep it up. We played five games with Barneveld last week also with a lot of intensity. Hopefully they are hungry for some more wins, because their capable. They just have to work as a team and pick everyone up when their down," Green said.
"I was glad we could put something together," Panthers head coach Pam Green said after the Panthers' 18-25, 22-25, 27-25, 26-24, 15-11 win. "I know they are capable of playing well. It's nice to see it finally. They didn't put their heads down and came back and got that Game 5."
Juda had lost junior Courtney Moisan to an ankle injury leading 11-9 in the third game. Argyle went on the attack on the briefly stunned and depth-depleted Panthers, rattling of a 15-4 run to seemingly put the match away.
"We were like 'come on girls, we've got this,'" Juda's Katlyn DeVoe said. "We played really good as a team once we started getting into it. We knew we could come back from it."
Soon after, the Orioles saw their lead slip away, but twice put the score at game point.
"We let it get away," Argyle head coach Shane Johnson said. "It's a tough one to deal with tonight. We had plenty of opportunities - game point in game's three and four. We just missed our serves. We just simply need to go out and execute better."
A short serve, net violation and a deep return by the Orioles allowed Juda (1-7 Six Rivers East) to push the contest to a fourth game.
Argyle went on another mid-game run in Game 4 and held a 22-14 lead, only to again see Juda rally behind the serving of juniors C.J. Dunwiddie and DeVoe.
"Over and in," said DeVoe, whose team went on a 10-2 run to force a fifth set. "Volleyball is about not making a mistake and if you just hit (the serve) over the net you can let the other team make a mistake."
DeVoe finished with 20 service points on the night, including three aces. Dunwiddie had 11 service points and five aces, Ellen Kiser had eight kills and four blocks and Aly Pierce had 17 assists for the Panthers.
Juda kept the momentum in the fifth game, and never trailed. A quick 10-3 run put Argyle on the ropes, but the Orioles responded with an 8-2 rally of their own. In the end, an Argyle block out of bounds and short return pushed the Panthers to their first conference win of the season.
"After that last point, we just all went crazy," said DeVoe, added that the team's intensity picked up when Moisan returned to the lineup in the fifth game. "The first game we got down on ourselves. Once we got down it's hard to get back up. But we just kept going."
Johnson doesn't know what he can do to rally his team, which has shown the ability to play with Albany and Black Hawk - the conference's top two teams - but has also lost its last two matches to teams in the bottom of the standings; Pecatonica (2-5) and Juda.
"We've had trouble finishing matches when we've had leads and we've dug ourselves into a few holes," Johnson said. "We've talked about the ability to handle pressure. Times like this, there's only so much we can do from the sidelines as a coaching staff. When push comes to shove, the girls need to go out and execute and minimize the errors."
Micala Peterson had 18 kills for Argyle with teammates Danielle Treuthardt (13 kills, five aces) and Abby Flanagan (7 kills, 20 digs) adding to the offensive attack. Kayla Ostby dished out 42 assists for the Orioles.
Argyle (3-5) gets back into action Thursday at home against Barneveld (5-2) while Juda hosts Monticello (2-5).
"I'm hoping we can keep it up. We played five games with Barneveld last week also with a lot of intensity. Hopefully they are hungry for some more wins, because their capable. They just have to work as a team and pick everyone up when their down," Green said.
