Photo by Stephen Dachman
If you’re looking for evidence of how good Moore League girls’ volleyball is this year, look no further than the final match of round one, Wilson vs. Poly. In an evenly-contested battle (in the fifth set they tied on nine of the first ten points), Wilson maintained their composure just a few points longer than Poly, and prevailed with a 20-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 15-12 win.
The match was a testament to the league’s power, given that it was being played between two CIF top-ten programs to decide who would sit in second place after the first half of league play. The team’s strengths—Poly’s offense and Wilson’s defense—were evident from the start, as Poly took one more step towards contending for a league title, and Wilson played well enough to assure that they’ll stay just a tick behind Lakewood.
The biggest key in the win had to be Wilson’s experience—while Poly’s varsity unit has perhaps been together longer, Wilson was clearly a team with more big-game experience, experience that showed late in the match. For example, Bruin co-captain Kellie Culbertson had been effectively shut down by the Poly block for the first four sets. “Teams are putting their best blocker on me this year,” she said, “And I need to get used to it.” The senior co-captain had just 8 kills in the first four sets—but then, when her team needed her in the fifth frame, she exploded, with six of the Bruins’ 15 deciding points. “I just try to stay calm, and not get frustrated,” said Culbertson when asked how she keeps herself focused when she’s not in rhythm.
“She has a great spirit,” said Wilson coach Susan Pescar. “I wanted to see what she could do in the fifth set and she let it rip.”
Poly came out with cannons firing in the first set, especially that of Bria Russ, who finished with a game-high 23 kills (and 28 points total, including blocks and aces). Russ has one of the biggest swings in the Southern Section, and Poly set her quickly enough that she got a number of clean shots. Her 7 first-set points put Poly out front, and Sa Iosia’s points down the stretch put it away.
After that, Wilson made some adjustments and took the second set easily, and Poly, thanks to great play from Russ and Litara Kiel, took the third, putting Wilson on the ropes. “There were some times in that match where I said, ‘We’re toast,'” said Pescar. It took the Bruins until the fourth set to start slowing down the Poly attack, as the ‘Rabbits kept finding ways to put the ball on the hardwood—they even recorded seven back-row kills, all from Russ and Kiel.
But experience won out as Wilson dug deep and put forth a gritty effort, with Kellie Woolever, Rebecca Strehlow, and Culbertson keying the comeback. The fifth set really was a showcase for both teams. After they tied at ten, Russ missed an attack wide right to give Wilson the advantage, then Strehlow and Culbertson pushed the advantage to three. After a Poly timeout Russ notched two kills, punctuated by a Poly service error, and Wilson called a timeout up 14-12, with the momentum seeming to swing Poly’s way. But Woolever roofed a Poly attack to close the match, and salvage the Bruins’ home-court defense.
Even with the loss, Poly’s coaching staff was rightly proud of their team’s performance. “They went into a hostile environment and competed,” said Poly coach Leland McGrath. “I think we have a very high ceiling, and we’re in a tough league—so let’s get some battles going.” It’s hard to come that close to beating a rival, and have it not sting to fall short, but this was probably the game that Poly came closest to reaching that incredible potential. The ‘Rabbits also showed a defensive grit and an ability to correct mistakes mid-game that certainly has them looking like they deserve their CIF no. 9 ranking, and like they could make a real impact in the playoffs, as well.
Other than Russ, the leaders for Poly were Kiel, with 18 total points, Zana Bowens, with 11 points, four off blocks, and Iosia, with 13 points, including five blocks.
For Wilson, Culbertson’s 13 kills proved decisive, and sophomore Rebecca Strehlow filled the stat box as usual, with 17 kills, 21 assists, and four blocks. Woolever had 25 assists, 9 kills, and four blocks.
Pescar gave plenty of credit to her team’s opponent after the match, saying, “That’s a wonderful team, and they had a well thought-out strategy. Our little tiny bit of extra experience saved us.” Next time they meet, it’s anybody’s guess which team will have that edge.
Wilson’s next match is at home on Thursday, as the first-place Lancers will try to remain perfect in the Moore League with a second win over the Bruins—first spike should be right around 4pm, and you won’t want to miss this one!