Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

Redskins rebound after first game

By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

St. Henry's Rachel Davis hits the ball over Celina's Mackenzie Dzendzel during Tuesday's match in St. Henry.

ST. HENRY - Just when it looked like Celina's volleyball team had the momentum after winning a tight first game, St. Henry took control of the match.
The Bulldogs outlasted the Redskins for a 29-27 triumph in the opening game of the Mercer County matchup but St. Henry roared back to win the final three games 25-17, 25-16 and 25-22 to knock off Celina.
The first game went back and forth with 15 ties, seven lead changes and neither team could build more than a two-point lead. Celina (2-2) was the first to reach game point at 24-23 after a Mackenzie Dzendzel kill, but Rachel Davis tied the score for St. Henry with a kill. The Redskins later had game point with Sam Thobe serving but Celina's Beth Goettemoeller had a kill to retie the score. The back-and-forth action continued until the Redskins had two straight hitting errors that gave Celina the win.
"That first game, it was back and forth," said Redskins coach Diana Kramer. "It was side-out, point; side-out, point the first 15-16 points of the game. I said the team that would win would be the first team that went on a run. We had a lead and let it slip away."
Celina's momentum, however, was short-lived as St. Henry (3-1) took control after tying the second game at 6-all. Thobe then served up six straight points as Olivia Stahl, Kenisa Post and Davis all had kills to put the Redskins on top 12-6. The Bulldogs got no closer than three points the rest of the way.
"We were just slightly out of position a few times. We just let some of those points they scored affect us mentally where we sort of let up," said Celina coach Amy Sutter. "I don't know if we were tired. I think they (St. Henry points) were our mental mistakes and lack of energy that got us down a little bit."
Celina jumped in front 7-4 early in the third game, but St. Henry's Madison Broering served up seven straight points, including two aces, that helped give the Redskins a 12-7 advantage. Post later served up two aces of her own during her service run and the Redskins were never threatened.
"I was encouraged how we came out the second and third (games)," said Kramer. "We were able to win because after the first set, we could have had a letdown but we came out fired up and ready to play."
Celina, however, didn't back down and jumped in front 6-2 in the fourth game. A Broering service run, coupled with kills by Thobe and Post and blocks from Post and Ally Mikesell, gave the Redskins a 9-6 advantage. The Bulldogs were able to retake the lead at 12-10 but St. Henry pulled away again, with Thobe getting a kill to close out the match.
"We suffered a big loss against Leipsic (in the Mercer Health Invitational final at Celina on Saturday) and I preached showing a lot of heart and pushing back every point because you never know when you can turn the tide of the game," said Sutter. "We never quit. That was sort of our mental focus."
The key to the win for St. Henry was the ability to slow down Celina's standout middle-hitter Michaela Wenning. The Bulldogs' senior had six kills in the opening game but had just seven kills more the rest of the way.
"She may be the best middle we play all season," said Kramer of Wenning. "First game they were passing extremely well. Rest of the match, we tried to get them out of (their) system as much as possible. When (Celina) is out system, they can't set her because she's playing middle. She's a fantastic player. She caused us a lot of problems tonight."
Stahl had 12 kills for St. Henry and Thobe added 11 kills.
Goettemoeller had eight kills for Celina and Weininger added five.
Both teams enter league play on Thursday. St. Henry travels to New Knoxville for the Midwest Athletic Conference lidlifter while Celina will host Bath in the Western Buckeye League opener.
Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

St. Henry's Kenisa Post hits the ball past a Celina blocker for a kill during the Redskins' four-game win on Tuesday.

Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

Celina's Michaela Wenning hits the ball over the outstretched arms of St. Henry's Ally Mikesell during Tuesday's match at St. Henry.

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St. Marys schools
ST. MARYS - A new state transportation funding formula could allow St. Marys to reinstate full busing within the next month.
School board members on Tuesday met with Ohio School Board Association's Senior Transportation Coordinator Pete Japikse in a special work session to discuss funding. [More]
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Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Marion Local's volleyball team dropped the first game to Lehman but stormed back to win the next three games to stay unbeaten on the season after a four-game win in a matchup of perennial Division IV powers on Tuesday night at The Hangar.
ST. HENRY - West Ohio Tool & Manufacturing recently received a $75,000 low-interest loan from Midwest Electric's Revolving Loan Fund. The loan will partially offset the cost of an expansion to the WOTM facility at 3965 Lange Road, just south of St. Henry.
MARIA STEIN - The Marion Local Flyers have won consecutive state football championships on three separate occasions, including their last two titles
CELINA - Jared Rolfes helped build a solid foundation and it's up to Trent Temple to take Celina's football program to the next level.
Celina finis
COLDWATER - The old saying "Can't tell the players without a scorecard" rings true for the Coldwater football team this season.
After winning the Division V state championship last December, Cavaliers head coach Chip Otten has just four starters and 14 letterwinners returning for this season.
FORT RECOVERY - With a solid group of veteran athletes returning this season, Fort Recovery football coach Brent Niekamp is optimistic that his Indians can improve upon last year's 3-7 record.
MARIA STEIN - Despite the fact that the Marion Local Flyers are two-time defending state football champions and have a host of contributors returning from last season, it has been business as usual in Maria Stein as far as the preseason goes.
MINSTER - For the past three seasons Minster's football team has methodically scaled up the Midwest Athletic Conference standings under the tutelage of head coach Nate Moore.
NEW BREMEN - With the offseason work completed and the preseason wrapping up, New Bremen's second-year football coach Jason McGaharan has recognized
ROCKFORD - The most valuable members of the Parkway football program the past several seasons have been the trainers, as the Panthers have been decimated with injuries that have forced head coach Dan Cairns to play a number of younger players earlier than he had originally hoped.
ST. HENRY - For the first time in a decade and for only the second time in more than 30 years, the St. Henry football program will welcome a new face to the sidelines this fall as Brad Luthman replaces Jeff Starkey, who guided the program to a record of 72-44 since 2003.
ST. MARYS - Last season was a football campaign that St. Marys Roughrider coaches, fans and players would like to bury deep in their memories and never dredge up again.
CELINA - After last year's third-place finish snapped a four-year run of Western Buckeye League championships for Celina's volleyball team, second-year head coach Amy Sutter feels her team is ready to make a run at the top spot this season.
COLDWATER - After their best season in 20 years, the Coldwater volleyball team is determined to make sure it's not another 20 years before the next great run.
FORT RECOVERY - Last year was a learning experience for the Fort Recovery volleyball team as Kylie Huelsman had a young squad that improved throughout the season before finishing with a 9-15 record.
MARIA STEIN - Just nine months after earning their fourth state volleyball championship trophy last November, the Marion Local Flyers are back to defend their Division IV title with a senior-laden squad.
MINSTER - Following a 12-10 overall mark and a losing record in the Midwest Athletic Conference last year, Minster volleyball coach Cami Lefeld feels that her Wildcats are ready to improve upon both of those marks this season.
NEW BREMEN - Theresa Jenkins is in the third year of trying to rebuild the New Bremen volleyball program and it has been a slow but steady process.
ROCKFORD - Parkway's volleyball team is in need of major contributions from a trio of returning letter winners to help guide a young team that is striving to improve upon last year's 8-15 overall record that included just one win in Midwest Athletic Conference play.
ST. HENRY - As Diana Kramer enters her fourth season in command of St. Henry's volleyball program, she will need to acquaint herself with a virtually brand-new lineup on the floor.
ST. MARYS - Following nearly 10 years away from being a head coach at the varsity level, Monica VanderHorst returns to the St. Marys sidelines this fall in hopes of breathing new life into the Roughriders' volleyball program that she guided to the state tournament in 1998.