Coldwater runs MAC table

ST. HENRY - One of the most overused words in sports journalism is "epic." A number of words could be used to describe last evening's Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball title showdown at Redskin Gymnasium in St. Henry.
   From Coldwater coach Mike Etzler came "Passionate."
   From St. Henry coach Diana Kramer: "Heartbreaking."
   "Epic" also fits, even if it is often overused. Coldwater gained its first outright MAC title with a four-set win of rival St. Henry, winning 25-19, 13-25, 25-19 and 25-15. Coldwater finishes the regular season with a conference-best 9-0 mark and 20-2 record for the year. St. Henry, which ran neck and neck with the Cavs, finished at 7-2 in the league and 18-4 overall.
   "We knew what we had to do," Etzler said. "I think the knowledge that we had a share of it (the title) relaxed us a bit, especially after that second game. We had to fix a couple things. We were ripped pretty good that second game and when you get handled like that, you have to adjust mentally."
   "We knew what this meant tonight," Kramer said. "It was Senior Night and we knew we had a shot of sharing the league with two really great teams. We didn't come to play. I don't know if nerves got to us or if we were so into the moment that we started to overplay."
   Each team appeared a bit tentative as the match started, reaching a 10-10 tie before Coldwater made the first surge. A 7-1 stretch put the Cavaliers in front, 17-10, and was keyed by a service ace from Brooke Welsch and the front-line play of Paige Hartings.

St. Henry came battling back with a four-point run that cut the lead to 18-16 behind an Olivia Stahl kill and two aces from Claudia Heitkamp. Coldwater answered with a foursome of its own that included a pair of aces from Lauren Leugers. The teams traded points until Welsch's kill made it 25-19 and put the Cavaliers up by a set.
   St. Henry took command of the second set with a 9-1 burst midway through the set to gain a 21-10 lead. The surge was sparked by an ace from Heitkamp, a kill by Katherine Davis and a series of Coldwater hitting errors. The score moved to 23-13 with St. Henry getting the final two points on an Ellie Stammen kill and an ace from Katie Gerlach.
   Coldwater was leading 13-11 in the third set when the Cavaliers reasserted themselves. Denise Schwieterman fueled a six-point streak with her play at the net, registering a pair of points with a kill and a block. The Redskins came back to within five at 22-17, but a duel block from Danielle Welsch and Hartings, followed by kills from Leugers and Tasha Kahlig closed the set at 25-19, sending the Cavaliers to a 2-1 edge in the match.
   "For us, it's sticking to our process," Etzler said. "We can't worry about the other side. We just concentrate on doing what we do and if we win, we win. If we don't, it's because we were beaten by a team that played better."
   "We did some things that were very uncharacteristic for us tonight," Kramer said. "With that being said, it's hats off to Coldwater. They earned it and they proved that they are the best team in the MAC by beating us tonight (staying unbeaten in the conference)."
   The fourth set represented a major hurdle for St. Henry when Hartings and Brooke Welsch hammered home multiple kills to lift the Cavaliers to a 7-1 lead. The clubs began an exchange of points that culminated in a 19-15 Coldwater lead. Kills by Brooke Welsch and Danielle Welsch made it 21-15 and created a situation where the Redskins began to press to make something happen. Three Redskin errors set up match point and Danielle Welsch nailed the winner to give Coldwater its first ever conference championship in volleyball.
   "There was a lot of emotion out there tonight," Kramer said. "It never subsided. The first game, Coldwater played very well and we struggled. The second game we played well and Coldwater struggled. There's so much momentum involved in the game of volleyball. In the fourth game, when we started out down seven or eight points to a very good team, it's almost impossible to come back."
   "We had talked about this, and everybody wanted it real badly," Etzler said. "We had already gotten a piece of it, obviously had never won it all alone. That was our goal and that's what we pushed for. Now we go on to the next goal."

Both teams earned the top seed of their respective sectionals. Coldwater takes on Allen East on Wednesday at the Palace in the Division III sectional. St. Henry is off until Oct. 18 as they host the winner of the Ottoville and Waynesfield-Goshen. Both matches will start at 6 p.m.