ERIE, Ill. —
There are few things high school athletes look forward to more than homecoming week. Throw in a matchup with your rival, and it just adds to the intensity.
And when your rival also is a school that you share several sports with, the atmosphere is electric. Such was the case Monday night when Prophetstown and Erie squared off in high school volleyball.
“This means a lot to the kids on both sides,” Erie coach Alicia Murphy said after her team beat rival Prophetstown 25-15, 25-17 in a Three Rivers Conference match. “It’s a great rivalry and a big night for either team. You have a little more energy because of the week that surrounds it.”
Erie’s Paige Rus said: “Every year we look forward to this game. You get pumped up by the big crowd. It’s really good to hear them cheer for us. This week is a big week, a really fun week.”
A crowd mainly clad in pink to show their support for the fight against breast cancer certainly seemed to enjoy it.
Of course, the Erie fans had a little more to enjoy.
“It’s a big rivalry game, and we really wanted to win,” said Savannah Mettler, who led the Cardinals with eight kills.
The Cardinals (12-7, 3-2 Three Rivers) came out strong from the start. After spotting the first point to the Prophets, Erie scored three in a row, taking the lead for good when Katelyn Temple and Paige Rus combined for a block. A kill by Peyton Rus followed for a 3-1 lead.
“Volleyball is a game of momentum,” Paige Rus said. “To start strong helps throughout the rest of the game.”
Jenna Forward scored on a tip for Prophetstown (1-8, 1-4) to stop the run, but Paige Rus followed with a kill, then helped on a block that made it 5-2 Erie.
The lead never shrunk below two after that, and the Cardinals closed the match on a five-point run that included three kills by Mettler, two from the left side.
“This is actually the first season I’ve ever played outside,” Mettler said. “It’s definitely different learning to play from the outside.”
The second game was much closer, and Prophetstown even held the advantage in the middle portion.
Karlie Stafford started and ended a three-point run with kills from the left side, giving the Prophets a 12-9 lead.
“We were kind of down a little but got our energy back,” Paige Rus said. “We knew we had to get ourselves together.
The lead eventually grew to 15-11 on a block by Clare Kramer, but Erie then changed the momentum from the service line.
“We definitely didn’t want to give up,” Mettler said.
“They wanted to win; I could feel it,” Erie libero Courtney Cobert said of her teammates.
“We practice serving a lot, serving and serve-receive,” Murphy said. “We take care of business. A few key serves like that and it’s hard for the defense to pick itself up.”
An ace by Peyton Rus helped start the comeback, and another by Deanna Black tied the game at 16-16. Prophetstown took a final lead at 17-16 on a block by Kramer. A kill by Mettler gave Erie the serve on a sideout, and Cobert served out the match.
The Cardinals went ahead 18-17 on a long rally that finally ended when Prophetstown couldn’t return the ball on three straight hits. Cobert then delivered an ace for the next point and added three more serves on which the Prophets couldn’t get their third hit over the net. Mettler finished the game with a kill.
“Usually, I try to serve between players a lot of times,” Cobert said. “Just get it over the net and it does the job. I was just serving; I wasn’t really aiming. I have a floater serve, so it goes all over.”
Just as the win went over well with the players and fans from Erie.
ERIE 25-25, PROPHETSTOWN 15-17
Statistical leaders
Kills — Prophetstown (Clare Kramer 5, Karlie Stafford 4. Emily Howard 4); Erie (Savannah Mettler 8, Peyton Rus 6, Paige Rus 4). Assists — Prophetstown (Kate Fringer 10); Erie (Katelyn Temple 3, Deanna Black 8). Ace serves — Prophetstown (Kramer 1); Erie (Black 2, Courtney Cobert 1, Pey. Rus 1). Blocks — Prophetstown (Kramer 1, Howard 1, Jenna Forward 1); Erie (Pey. Rus 1, Temple 1, Pa. Rus 1, Mettler 1). Digs — Prophetstown (Howard 9, Katlyn Shirley 8); Erie (Mettler 3, Temple 2).
Freshmen/sophomores — Erie won 35-14, 25-21. Freshmen — Prophetstown won 25-12, 25-20.
High School Sports
Related Photos
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Erie’s Rachel Cobert (right) gets her hit past Prophetstown blockers Karlie Stafford (left) and Shelby Adams (11) to score a point that puts the Cardinals ahead 8-5 in the opening game of their two-game sweep Monday night in Erie, Ill. Jon Gremmels/Clinton Herald
Discussion
September 18, 2012
Cardinals enjoy win over rival
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