Sports : Season ends with tough 5-game match for Moose - Frontiersman
By GREG JOHNSON
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, November 13, 2010 11:47 PM AKST
WASILLA — Fresh off an upset win at the Northern Lights Conference regional tournament, Palmer gave Moose fans an exciting end to their season Friday at the ASAA/First National Bank State Volleyball Championships.
With the tournament played at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Palmer ended the 2010 season with a tough 3-2 loss to Juneau-Douglas in the consolation semifinals (15-25, 25-22, 25-20, 16-25, 13-15).
In a match with contrasting styles, the Crimson Bears rode the dominating play of senior middle-hitter Sarah Tarver, who disrupted the Moose offense at the net for much of the match. With Palmer leading 2-1 in the match, Tarver elevated her play with seven kills and nine blocks in the final two games to help Juneau notch the win.
“She’s tall and tipped the ball around to good places and found openings a lot,” said Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds.
It was par for the course for Tarver, said Juneau head coach Sandi Wagner.
“She’s done that all season,” she said.
For Palmer, Friday’s consolation round match was difficult to get up for, especially at 9 a.m., Reynolds said. After winning the regional tournament, the Moose opened state tournament play Thursday with a first-round loss to Dimond.
When they quickly dropped the first game to Douglas, Palmer could’ve rolled over, he said. Instead, the Moose rebounded to win the next two games and nearly pulled out the win in the fifth and deciding game.
“That first game, we got off to a really slow start. But we showed that, at times, we’re good,” Reynolds said.
The Moose showed how good in the second game, holding off a late Juneau rally after coming from behind early in the game.
Palmer started the game getting out to a quick 4-1 lead, but the Crimson Bears, sparked by five straight service points from Megan Mauseth, put the Moose in a 9-4 hole. That’s when Palmer clamped down on defense and steadily erased the deficit and built a comfortable lead at 23-16 and held on for the 25-22 win. Offensively, junior Jessica Dennis sparked the Moose with three key kills near the end of the game.
The Moose were in control for much of the second game, sparked by four straight service points from senior Rebecca Stella, including an ace, to lead early 6-2.
Tarver tried to keep the Crimson Bears in the game, with three kills and five blocks, but it wasn’t enough. Palmer’s sharp play continued to build the lead to seven points at 21-14 before putting the game away.
The game three win put Palmer in the driver’s seat and the match was looking good, Reynolds said.
“We had our moments there where I thought we moved the ball well and controlled the ball well,” he said.
There seemed to be more of those moments as the fourth game began, with the Moose taking an early 4-1 lead, but Tarver would inspire the Crimson Bears with a late push to close out the game 25-16 and tie the match.
In the fifth and deciding game, Palmer put Juneau on the ropes early, leading 5-0 within the first minutes of play, spurred by a Stella Kill and four straight service points for Chantel Grover.
But Juneau had another answer for Palmer’s run. Mauseth served four straight points to pull the Crimson Bears even at 6. The teams were tied again at 13, and it would be Tarver who would step up again at the net with a block and the win, 15-13.
Palmer had its chances by leading early in games four and five, Reynolds said.
“Either by our own mental errors or unforced errors or something good that they would do, it would kind of squash the momentum,” he said.
Looking back on the season, the coach said he’s proud of his team and their region title.
“We started kind of slow, but people were working hard and making improvements, and as a team I thought we really improved as we got down to the last three weeks of the season,” he said. “That’s the perfect time.”
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
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