ALBANY - After a weekend tournament win over Monticello in Brodhead, Albany's volleyball team was beginning to think that maybe it could belong near the top of the conference. No so fast, you blazing Comets.
"They knew what they were up against. They knew that those (Monticello) girls can hit the ball," Albany coach Connie Wunschel said after her team's loss to the Ponies in four sets, 25-10, 25-12, 23-25, 25-14. "We've talked about it. We've seen it.
"But until they get it in their heads," Wunschel said trailing off, leaving her thought open-ended. "There's one thing we've got - a lot of hustle and a lot of athleticism. Their hearts are so into it. They want it so bad. This was the game they wanted to play to prove they could play with Monticello and that Saturday wasn't just a fluke."
The Comets played along with Monticello for a moment in the first game, and trailed 13-8 at one point before the Ponies took off. The second game was much of the same.
"We went with a different lineup, and maybe that helped," Wunschel said. "They just gelled."
By the third set, the Comets finally started feeling comfortable, and let their instincts take over. Albany opened the game on a 3-0 run and later led by as much as seven points at 22-15.
"Even in the second game we starting to play the way we were capable of," said Wunschel, whose team never trailed in the frame. "I think we've come a long way from the beginning of the season."
But no team in the Six Rivers East can let conference leading Ponies (5-0) get a sniff of a rally. Just as Albany (1-4) was smiling on the court, just three points from a victory, Monticello came roaring back, courtesy of sophomore hitter Marissa Berg, who had four kills during an 8-2 stretch that brought her team back to within a point.
"Berg is going to be player of the year her junior and senior year. She's going to be fantastic to watch," said Wunschel, who coached Sydney Bump to two straight player of the year awards in 2009 and 2010. "Monticello is coming together. They're looking like a bunch of women and not a bunch of kids. We got too tight. The girls just didn't want to make a mistake."
Monticello took the first point of Game 4, but Albany rebounded and took 9 of the next 12 points, forcing Ponies coach Teresa Eliason to take a timeout.
"I think they were getting hard on themselves. I told them they needed to just relax and play - (and) be positive," Eliason said.
The very next point was an especially long volley, which ended with Monticello getting the point. Before long the Ponies brought it back to one at 12-11, and then bursted down the stretch on a 15-1 run to close it out.
"We just lost focus for a while. Albany is a scrappy team," Eliason said.
"It's a good feeling" being on top in the conference," Eliason said. "Like any team we're beatable. We just have to stay together."
With senior setter C.J. Dilley, who had an astonishing 47 assists, and Berg, who had 19 kills, Monticello has as solid of a 1-2 punch as any other Six Rivers team.
"C.J. did a great job spreading the ball around," Eliason said. "And Marissa is a great player - athletic, and she really wants to win. She's already the leader on the floor."
"They knew what they were up against. They knew that those (Monticello) girls can hit the ball," Albany coach Connie Wunschel said after her team's loss to the Ponies in four sets, 25-10, 25-12, 23-25, 25-14. "We've talked about it. We've seen it.
"But until they get it in their heads," Wunschel said trailing off, leaving her thought open-ended. "There's one thing we've got - a lot of hustle and a lot of athleticism. Their hearts are so into it. They want it so bad. This was the game they wanted to play to prove they could play with Monticello and that Saturday wasn't just a fluke."
The Comets played along with Monticello for a moment in the first game, and trailed 13-8 at one point before the Ponies took off. The second game was much of the same.
"We went with a different lineup, and maybe that helped," Wunschel said. "They just gelled."
By the third set, the Comets finally started feeling comfortable, and let their instincts take over. Albany opened the game on a 3-0 run and later led by as much as seven points at 22-15.
"Even in the second game we starting to play the way we were capable of," said Wunschel, whose team never trailed in the frame. "I think we've come a long way from the beginning of the season."
But no team in the Six Rivers East can let conference leading Ponies (5-0) get a sniff of a rally. Just as Albany (1-4) was smiling on the court, just three points from a victory, Monticello came roaring back, courtesy of sophomore hitter Marissa Berg, who had four kills during an 8-2 stretch that brought her team back to within a point.
"Berg is going to be player of the year her junior and senior year. She's going to be fantastic to watch," said Wunschel, who coached Sydney Bump to two straight player of the year awards in 2009 and 2010. "Monticello is coming together. They're looking like a bunch of women and not a bunch of kids. We got too tight. The girls just didn't want to make a mistake."
Monticello took the first point of Game 4, but Albany rebounded and took 9 of the next 12 points, forcing Ponies coach Teresa Eliason to take a timeout.
"I think they were getting hard on themselves. I told them they needed to just relax and play - (and) be positive," Eliason said.
The very next point was an especially long volley, which ended with Monticello getting the point. Before long the Ponies brought it back to one at 12-11, and then bursted down the stretch on a 15-1 run to close it out.
"We just lost focus for a while. Albany is a scrappy team," Eliason said.
"It's a good feeling" being on top in the conference," Eliason said. "Like any team we're beatable. We just have to stay together."
With senior setter C.J. Dilley, who had an astonishing 47 assists, and Berg, who had 19 kills, Monticello has as solid of a 1-2 punch as any other Six Rivers team.
"C.J. did a great job spreading the ball around," Eliason said. "And Marissa is a great player - athletic, and she really wants to win. She's already the leader on the floor."
