43
Tigers walking tall
Photo
Warren Harding volleyball player Kristin Sampson goes to the floor to keep the ball in play during Wednesday’s contest against Howland. The Tigers won in four sets.
By Ryan Buck
HOWLAND
A GoogleMaps search confirms Howland and Warren Harding high schools are separated by a mere 10-minute drive (nine if one somehow eludes the East Market Street traffic).
That’s about four miles and about how far along the Howland girls volleyball program feels compared to its 2013 season.
A three-sets-to-one home-court triumph over their neighbors in the season opener had the Tigers feeling that way on Wednesday.
“Huge, humungous,” said fourth-year Howland coach Amanda Lingenfelter of the win by scores of 27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23.
The Tigers jumped ahead of Harding, saw the Raiders steal the third set and fell behind in the fourth, 7-1. A furious rally, some timely points and some help from the visitors gave the Tigers their first win.
When asked if her team would have won a match like this a year ago, Lingenfelter said, “No. Definitely the experience played a huge role in us coming in and winning the match.
“All of the sets were very close — it never got beyond two or three points — and the experience goes above and beyond when you go into a match like this.”
The Tigers won five matches a year ago — the definition of a rebuilding project — but returned nearly all of their starting lineup.
Two seniors and six juniors are the foundation.
Perhaps age and experience bring confidence?
“We’re much more aggressive this year passing-wise offensively,” Lingenfelter said. “Defensively, we’re much stronger than in the past and that creates offense for some of our big hitters like Christian Carr and Cassie Murko.”
Carr, a senior outside hitter, moves effortlessly across the court, evidenced by her team-leading seven digs.
Murko, a tall and lanky sophomore who swarms the net, looks to be a beneficiary of her team’s progress.
After taking a hard-fought opening set, Murko ended a Harding rally with a devastating spike-kill to give the Tigers a 21-19 lead they would sustain in a second-set win.
The Raiders responded with a 6-0 run in the do-or-die third set to break open an 18-all tie. Rebecca Currington’s service and two of Kristin Sampson’s seven drop shots keyed the run which led to the set win.
“It was tough [going down 2-0 in sets],” third-year Harding coach Heather Guthrie said. “But I know my girls have heart and spirit. That’s why they won the third game because they didn’t want it to be over.”
Harding carried that momentum into the fourth game as they took a 7-1 lead again keyed by a crafty Sampson drop shot that floated to the court right in the middle of an aggressive Howland defense.
A Murko block brought the Tigers back to within three points before Caroline Henneman’s serves spurred another run.
Alexis Miner’s court vision — and 25 assists — set Murko up for another spike to put Howland ahead 12-10.
Shymara Dykes’ miss-hit point cut Harding’s deficit to one point at 20-19 and the Raiders even tied the game at 23, but that was as close as they would get.
Murko again rose up for a kill and Harding couldn’t return the ensuing Howland serve on match point.
“Last year we really had trouble getting to the ball,” said Murko, a two-year contributor. “This year we’re just a lot better at everything: hustling after the ball and teamwork and we’re coming together as a team.”