MONTICELLO - After Juda pulled out a fourth set in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal, all of the pressure may have been on Monticello senior Alyssah Kubly and the No. 1 seeded Ponies Thursday.
Kubly scored six straight service points and had two aces in the decisive fifth set to help Monticello survive a scare, winning a thriller 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 24-26, 15-9.
"We just had to get in the groove," said Kubly, who had a match-high 21 kills. "We had to start getting peppy and pumped up. We just had to win or it was all over. Once we get going our team meshes well together, we are moving and it's fun."
Monticello (17-2) raced out to an 11-1 lead in the fifth set before the Panthers rallied. Before the regional semifinal match, the Panthers were 0-8 in sets against the Ponies.
"Monticello is a great team and they have a lot of good hitters," Juda coach Scott Anderson said. "We tried to avoid Kubly. She has my vote for the conference player of the year. We knew after going 0-8 we had to do something different against them. We had to keep them honest. If we would have let their hitters swing this would have been done in three games. They executed the game plan almost perfectly."
With the loss, Juda finished the season 14-11. With three sophomores and a freshman, Anderson was proud to see the Panthers take conference rival Monticello to five sets.
"We had to change the climate two years ago when I took this job," Anderson said. "I thought this was another step in that road tonight."
The Ponies jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first set. The Panthers rallied when the Ponies had two hitting errors and were called for an illegal hit. Monticello senior Jordan Garrison, who had a match-high 34 assists, delivered an ace, to give the Ponies a 15-10 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Panthers were plagued by three service errors in the first set.
The Panthers turned the tables in the second set. Juda rallied from a 13-9 deficit. Juda sophomore Alexis Goecks had a kill to give the Panthers a 19-18 lead late in the set. Fellow sophomore Sara Jordan came through with an ace and senior Cheyenne Ambler had a kill to extend the Panthers' lead to 21-18. Ambler, who had three kills, scored on a tip late to give the Panthers a 23-21 lead. The Panthers sealed the win when the Ponies hit the ball out. Monticello had three of its seven service errors in the second set.
"I knew Juda was going to be tough," Monticello coach Scott Smice said. "Their style of defense and offense is impeccable. They kept the ball alive and we didn't. Monticello needs to play with more heart."
Kubly got going in the third set, scoring on a tip and two kills to lead the Ponies to a 17-8 lead. The Panthers mounted a comeback with Jordan scoring on an ace and freshman Mackenzie Byrne scoring on a tip to cut the Ponies' lead to 23-20 late in the third set. The Panthers then had a hitting error into the net and the Ponies pulled out the set.
Juda senior Morgan Adkins had a team-high 16 digs and sophomore Chelsea Burkhalter had 12 digs. Jordan racked up nine aces and Byrne had 15 assists.
With their backs against the wall, Jordan scored five straight service points to spark the Panthers to a 10-2 lead in the fourth set. Juda led by as many as 10 points, 13-3 in the set. The Ponies stormed back behind the hitting of Kubly and serving of senior Brooke Bidlingmaier. Kubly had four kills and Bidlingmaier had an ace to help the Ponies slice the Panthers' lead to 15-12. Monticello senior Brecklyn Klosterman's tip cut the Panthers' lead to 15-13. Ambler had a kill and Byrne delivered an ace to give the Panthers a 23-20 lead. The Ponies came back to tie it at 24 on a tip. Juda forced a sideout and scored the game-winning point when the Ponies had a long hit out.
"I was very concerned that we didn't come out quicker after winning the third set," Smice said. "I told them at this time of year you have to be ready for anyone or you will go home. I thought all night we played scared. We made the scared mistakes and not the aggressive ones. We can't play like that on Saturday and expect to come out a winner."
That set the stages for Kubly's hot run from the service line in the decisive fifth set.
"Her serving in the fifth game took them over the top," Anderson said of Kubly. "We can build off a match like this. It was a step for us. When you have three sophomores and a freshman starting you look forward to a lot of good things."
The Panthers battled back after trailing 11-1.
"We kind of left our guard down after it was 11-1, 11-2," Smice said. "Juda never quit and didn't die. I give Juda and their coach a lot of credit for that."
Monticello senior Paige Dilley had 13 kills and Bidlingmaier notched four aces.
Monticello will host Catholic Central Saturday in a regional championship match. Catholic Central, ranked No. 5 in the WisSports.net Coaches poll, has qualified for state in six of the last eight years and won five state championships during that span. The Hilltoppers have ousted the Ponies in four straight years from the tournament.
"We have never won a game against Catholic Central," Smice said. "We are hoping this year is the year. I think it will be a close match. The one thing that works to our advantage is we don't have to go to Catholic Central. Whenever you play at home you want to protect your house."
Kubly will enjoy the home cooking.
"It feels a lot better instead of going on a two-hour bus trip," she said of getting the chance to host the Hilltoppers in the regional final. "We are really excited to play them for the fourth year."
Kubly scored six straight service points and had two aces in the decisive fifth set to help Monticello survive a scare, winning a thriller 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 24-26, 15-9.
"We just had to get in the groove," said Kubly, who had a match-high 21 kills. "We had to start getting peppy and pumped up. We just had to win or it was all over. Once we get going our team meshes well together, we are moving and it's fun."
Monticello (17-2) raced out to an 11-1 lead in the fifth set before the Panthers rallied. Before the regional semifinal match, the Panthers were 0-8 in sets against the Ponies.
"Monticello is a great team and they have a lot of good hitters," Juda coach Scott Anderson said. "We tried to avoid Kubly. She has my vote for the conference player of the year. We knew after going 0-8 we had to do something different against them. We had to keep them honest. If we would have let their hitters swing this would have been done in three games. They executed the game plan almost perfectly."
With the loss, Juda finished the season 14-11. With three sophomores and a freshman, Anderson was proud to see the Panthers take conference rival Monticello to five sets.
"We had to change the climate two years ago when I took this job," Anderson said. "I thought this was another step in that road tonight."
The Ponies jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first set. The Panthers rallied when the Ponies had two hitting errors and were called for an illegal hit. Monticello senior Jordan Garrison, who had a match-high 34 assists, delivered an ace, to give the Ponies a 15-10 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Panthers were plagued by three service errors in the first set.
The Panthers turned the tables in the second set. Juda rallied from a 13-9 deficit. Juda sophomore Alexis Goecks had a kill to give the Panthers a 19-18 lead late in the set. Fellow sophomore Sara Jordan came through with an ace and senior Cheyenne Ambler had a kill to extend the Panthers' lead to 21-18. Ambler, who had three kills, scored on a tip late to give the Panthers a 23-21 lead. The Panthers sealed the win when the Ponies hit the ball out. Monticello had three of its seven service errors in the second set.
"I knew Juda was going to be tough," Monticello coach Scott Smice said. "Their style of defense and offense is impeccable. They kept the ball alive and we didn't. Monticello needs to play with more heart."
Kubly got going in the third set, scoring on a tip and two kills to lead the Ponies to a 17-8 lead. The Panthers mounted a comeback with Jordan scoring on an ace and freshman Mackenzie Byrne scoring on a tip to cut the Ponies' lead to 23-20 late in the third set. The Panthers then had a hitting error into the net and the Ponies pulled out the set.
Juda senior Morgan Adkins had a team-high 16 digs and sophomore Chelsea Burkhalter had 12 digs. Jordan racked up nine aces and Byrne had 15 assists.
With their backs against the wall, Jordan scored five straight service points to spark the Panthers to a 10-2 lead in the fourth set. Juda led by as many as 10 points, 13-3 in the set. The Ponies stormed back behind the hitting of Kubly and serving of senior Brooke Bidlingmaier. Kubly had four kills and Bidlingmaier had an ace to help the Ponies slice the Panthers' lead to 15-12. Monticello senior Brecklyn Klosterman's tip cut the Panthers' lead to 15-13. Ambler had a kill and Byrne delivered an ace to give the Panthers a 23-20 lead. The Ponies came back to tie it at 24 on a tip. Juda forced a sideout and scored the game-winning point when the Ponies had a long hit out.
"I was very concerned that we didn't come out quicker after winning the third set," Smice said. "I told them at this time of year you have to be ready for anyone or you will go home. I thought all night we played scared. We made the scared mistakes and not the aggressive ones. We can't play like that on Saturday and expect to come out a winner."
That set the stages for Kubly's hot run from the service line in the decisive fifth set.
"Her serving in the fifth game took them over the top," Anderson said of Kubly. "We can build off a match like this. It was a step for us. When you have three sophomores and a freshman starting you look forward to a lot of good things."
The Panthers battled back after trailing 11-1.
"We kind of left our guard down after it was 11-1, 11-2," Smice said. "Juda never quit and didn't die. I give Juda and their coach a lot of credit for that."
Monticello senior Paige Dilley had 13 kills and Bidlingmaier notched four aces.
Monticello will host Catholic Central Saturday in a regional championship match. Catholic Central, ranked No. 5 in the WisSports.net Coaches poll, has qualified for state in six of the last eight years and won five state championships during that span. The Hilltoppers have ousted the Ponies in four straight years from the tournament.
"We have never won a game against Catholic Central," Smice said. "We are hoping this year is the year. I think it will be a close match. The one thing that works to our advantage is we don't have to go to Catholic Central. Whenever you play at home you want to protect your house."
Kubly will enjoy the home cooking.
"It feels a lot better instead of going on a two-hour bus trip," she said of getting the chance to host the Hilltoppers in the regional final. "We are really excited to play them for the fourth year."
