Greer Delight
Goessel Volleyball – Moundridge Quad @ Moundridge September 14, 2017
Goessel v. Sedgwick
In their second meeting in less than a week, Goessel’s Bluebirds took on the Sedgwick Cardinals at the modified Moundridge quad. In a well-balanced back and forth first set, the teams traded frescoes and knotted three times before 6-6. On a well crafted middle swat, Brittney Hiebert brought it back to 7-9, but Goessel was forced to call time after the Cards ran it to 7-11, a 6-1 spurt. Leah Booton blitzed a low slung ace and multiple Blue hitting errors took it to 9-14. Again, Hiebert swash-buckled one down in the middle and Eden pummeled one all the way to Black Kettle Park. It was Goessel’s turn to roll and the ‘Birds flew for a 6-1 sortie that finished with an exclamation point bounce-down from #7 and a near perfect solo block from Leah. Timeout Sedgwick 17-16. Out of the timeout, the run continued before two Blue errors took it again to 19-18. Tonight in Greer it was a tale of runs and Goessel put the hammer down with Audessi Unruh at the line. After a scrumptious right side wallop from Cierra Nolte, Sedgwick called time at 22-19 then Leah thumped another left side shot and back to back hitting errors from the Red left it at 24-20. A finesse #19 tip at the end showed final at 25-20.
On the reddish Greer hardwood, in sweltering heat, Goessel ran it to 6-0 before the Cardinals had a chance to react. Blasts from Brittney, Eden and Leah each registered 4.8 on the Richter. Once again, however, the Cards got back in it with 4 before Stephany Meyer stepped up and cajoled a perfect solo down block in the middle. Nolte tallied an excellent deep poke for a winner to go up 11-7 and the teams traded errors to 14-11. With Leah on the left corner, the Blue finally got down a kill, but the Cardinals again stormed back 4-0 to leave it at 16-15 and Coach Guhr called time. This timeout lit a fire and Goessel responded all over the court, going to 22-15 on impeccable wallops from Leah, Stephany, and Eden. 22-15. Eden shamoozled one cross-court so hard, it crushed the Doritos chips nephew Jony was enjoying. A mini-comeback run from Sedgwick on nice finishes from Zerger left it at 23-21 and Goessel called time again. Setting to go-to hitter Eden was natural to go 24-21, but opponents are always surprised by the excellent back sets from Savanna Wuest, and Nolte bludgeoned one from the right corner to win 25-21.
Special recognition to former Goessel standout Page Hiebert, who this week was named the National Player of the Week in Division 1 NJCAA Volleyball. This is an absolutely outstanding honor for a great person and great player. Congratulations Page! Coach Patrick Hill was in the house at Greer this evening with a couple of Hutch CC players.
Goessel v. Douglass
At 7:18 pm, the marquee match of this quad began with #7 ranked and undefeated 3A Douglass going up against #2 ranked and undefeated 1A-I Goessel. Goessel knew this was going to be a good test and Douglass knew it after one set if they didn’t before. Goessel’s Bluebirds put on a sensational, almost jaw-dropping performance in the first set. In systematic fashion, the Blue received, passed, set and delivered in clockwork fashion. The ‘Birds earned 13 of their first 15 and never looked back, at one point running 8-0 late in the set. Eden delivered a punch down to start, quieting the boisterous Bulldog fans with the bizarre fuzzy spirit stick. Leah laid down a pretty as punch ace and there was a little nose wiggle. Brittney killed cross-court with so much authority it looked the stage curtains were in danger of being rent in two. Eden dazzled in the corner to lead 5-2. Hitter Katelyn Moore for Douglass put on a show with some stupendous finishes including several back row full speed leaping finger rolls.
Eden notched a nice back row finger roll herself and Stephany finished from the left to lead 8-6. In one of Goessel’s meteoric runs tonight Leah flamencoed one in left, then Kara Burkholder struck from the service line, Leah tipped, and Brittany blocked in the middle for the 12-6 lead. After a back and forth series, with the teams trading kills, Hiebert stepped to the line at 16-12. The Bulldog hitters attempted to save the match all at once and hit out three consecutive times, with Bluebird blockers taking a toll on their hitting lanes. Eden nuzzled in two on-target aces and Douglass called time at 22-12. Nolte slammed one down from the right and Goessel fans thought this one was done. A good opponent and their fans never say die, and the Bulldogs put up three points at 24-14…. Until Leah found a near perfect arc set from Wuest and crushed it down the line for the 25-17 win.
The Bulldogs growled and, despite a slow start in the 2nd, were ready to defend the Blue hitters. Brittney started with an excellent deep push, Eden finished, and Stephany/Cierra stopped Moore cold on the right, then Mayer and Hiebert combined on the left for another key block to go up 4-1. With an Eden ace and a Booton kill on the board, the Bulldogs rattled the hardwood with some great finishes to tear back into it 8-9, until the teams traded crowd pleaser shot after shot to go back and forth to 11-13. Timeout Goessel. Again, out of an effective timeout, Eden found nothing but red hardwood on the slam-dunk from the left and punched two more down to lead 14-13. Stephany got a key stuff in the middle, Goessel launched another ace, but this cacophony of incredible play continued up and down to 19-19. On a particular rousing rally, the Bluebirds foisted some magnificent gets and Leah finished solidly, but then delivered a serve…… into the net to go down 20-21. Eden uncharacteristically let two fly out of bounds and Goessel was down 3, 20-23. Brittney gave the ‘Birds hope with an excellent short set kerthunk but two quick swats from Moore put it away 21-25.
Tonight in Cleveland, the home town fans were relishing the idea of creating history. Tonight in Moundridge, you would be hard pressed to find more delightful entertainment anywhere than set #3 of this match. Out of the chute, the ‘Blue looked pumped with a bone-crunching smack from Brittney, then two Leah ace-mallows. Two ‘Dog errors gave Goessel a 5-0 start. Just as quickly as the prior set, the well-tuned Douglass squad responded, digging and delivering well to race back to 6-5. With Eden back up front, Goessel attacked from both corners to lead 9-5 and again appeared in the driver’s seat with a thunderous Nolte put-down and a Leah carom that squirted all the way to the Casey’s drink dispensary. 14-9. With another Leah finish, a Brittney kill, and a power right roll from Brittney that nearly knocked the furry spirit stick into the Douglass bus, Goessel again looked impressive at 19-9. Hailey Stiner went to the line to serve for Douglass. Moore is on the left corner and Cochran on the right. This is a lethal circumstance. With a barrage of aces, tips and hitting, the Bulldogs earned 9 of 10 points to bend the score to 20-19, an absolutely unbelievable 10-1 run. A timeout midway through failed to still the carnage and Goessel used its 2nd timeout at 20-19. A tiring, very heat-exhausted squad still needed something in the tank……Eden delivered from the left for the 21-19 lead. Eden and Stephany brought the crowd to its collective feet with a great dual block and Eden flummoxed one cross-court so hard it interrupted play in the main Moundridge High gym.
24-20 and Goessel was ready for the W. Moore would have none of that and led her team on yet another comeback to tie at 24-24. Back and forth, no one wanting to make the error and Goessel came out of the tentative tete a tete with 25-24 on the ‘Dog hit out. At the net, Cierra Nolte went after an awkward carom, diving in a clearly instinctual dig effort, looking magnificently graceful, and coming out with one of the most spectacular plays and the save of the night. The next bump went to Wuest who put it up to Leah Booton, and Senior Booton polished off one of her magnificent left side finishes straight down the pipe for the incredible win. 26-24. Congratulations Goessel for remaining undefeated against two more substantial opponents. Play tonight with limited errors, great ball-handling, and wonderful setting sets the tone for bigger and better as the season progresses. Coach Crysta Guhr called this match one of the most amazing she has ever been involved with. Any fan in attendance would agree.
-Karl Brubaker