Girard defeats Crestview for 5th-straight district title

The Indians downed the Rebels in three games.
By ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SALEM -- Girard High volleyball player Courtney Madden remembers the helpless feeling she experienced as she sat on the bench last November watching her volleyball team get eliminated by Crestview in the Division III regional semifinals in Barberton.
"It was sad to watch them lose, even though they played great," Madden said. "I just didn't want to let my team down."
Madden missed the entire 2004 season because of an ACL knee injury, but after a rigorous regimen of rehabilitation in the offseason, she made it back on the court this fall. The road back has been bumpy, but nights like Thursday make the hard work worthwhile.
The senior middle hitter pounded out seven kills and tallied five blocks as Girard avenged last year's loss to Crestview, handing the Rebels (24-1) their first setback of the season en route to the Indians' fifth consecutive district championship.
"It feels great," Madden said. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. I learned a lot from last year, like teamwork and supporting your teammates. I had to come back and not let my injury stop me; I couldn't let my teammates down."
Moving on
Girard (20-6) advances to the Division III regional semifinals in Barberton on Wednesday. The Indians play either Smithville or West Salem Northwestern in the second game of the evening.
Madden and the rest of her teammates did something no one had done all season -- beat Crestview. The Rebels came in 24-0 and had lost just two games all season. But Girard, who played a brutal schedule, made things look relatively easy, sweeping the match in three games.
"Winning in three games was a lot less stressful," Madden said. "But I was surprised. You're always a little nervous playing against good teams in the big games, but our team just did its thing and played together."
Coach's perspective
Playing the likes of Boardman, Fitch, Canfield, Poland, Hubbard and state-power Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph paid dividends for the Indians. Girard coach Phil Walters knew playing strong competition was critical to postseason success.
"We played the toughest schedule I could possibly get," Walters said. "It took me five years to get those teams to play us because we had to build the credibility by winning. I would rather walk into the tournament 0-22 if that meant we played the best teams in the state because that's what it's all about.
"I'm so happy for the kids because this has been a tough season in some ways," Walters said. "It took Courtney a while to get back to doing the things she can do, and the kids worked real hard to get here. I really wanted this for them."
Girard jumped out to an early lead in the first game, building a seven-point advantage several times. But Crestview battled back within 24-18 and fought off four straight game points, before the Indians scored a 25-21 win to go ahead 1-0.
Closer contest
The second game was easily the most competitive, featuring 15 ties. Crestview rallied from a 6-0 deficit to knot the game at 9-9. The Rebels eventually got the advantage and had game point at 25-24.
But Girard did just enough to win three of the next four points and earn a 27-25 win.
In game three, Girard took the lead for good at 18-17 and fought off a determined Crestview squad to win the clincher by a 25-21 score.
"I was really surprised that we won in three games," said senior middle hitter Chelsea Morrison, who has a 24-inch vertical leap. "We didn't play real well on Tuesday, but I have no idea why we played this well tonight. This is the best team I've been on.
"We're just good offensively and defensively, and we are all real close. This group of players has really made me better, and we just wanted to keep the district championship tradition alive."
Morrison led Girard with eight kills and seven blocks. She added seven service points and two aces.