UTVballfan
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A week ago Wednesday, Nebraska came to town again. On the line: another Big XII title and a number one seed for the NCAA’s. We’re already hosting a regional; it’d be great to host the first couple rounds as well.
Last year the Horns demolished the AA-loaded Huskers in Gregory. Could this years’ match-up approach the awesomeness of that win?
The fans came through - Gregory was stuffed to the rafters. This sell-out was even more sold out than last years’ match. When Gregory is packed with 4,324 fans, it fills with an awesome, enveloping roar.
I imagine a conversation like this between Destinee and the freshman, Michelle Kocher, just before game time: Destinee: You nervous? Michelle: Well, maybe a little bit. Destinee: Don’t worry. Give me that first ball, OK? We’ll give ‘em something to cheer about, it’ll be so loud it’ll blow the Huskers off the court.
Did she ever. From the very first point. You’ll not often see an athlete take over like Destinee took over the first set. Here’s the play-by-play.
As mentioned, Destinee was on fire, and we stretched out to a 7-5 gap on five Hooker smashes. The Husker setter, Sydney Anderson, spread the ball around, but even the combination of Larson, Cooper and Gates wasn’t enough offense to go toe-to-toe with Destinee. Party-girl Mueller’s first contribution was an attack error and Licht was non-existent. But Juliann struggled on a couple points, and we found ourselves tied, 8-8.
Ashley and Jennifer were up for the big game, too, and both quickly killed. Then Destinee blocked Gates and got another kill, and the spurt put us up 12-9, and Cook clenched up and took his first TO.
Thereafter the play went to Licht. It’s like watching a DC-10 cargo plane lumber towards take-off; you wonder, is this thing ever going to get off the ground? Somehow she managed to crank a kill, though. Then Juliann suffered some more, Gates killed, and we were tied again, 12-12.
Destinee got kill number seven, but gave it back on serve. But from there on out, the Horns pulled ahead. Licht and Larson both errored, and then Destinee had a prodigious back row kill over a triple block, on a broken play, no less. Licht got the next swing and Hooker dug it up; we couldn’t convert and Licht got it down off the block on her second try.
Then Jordan Larson had a pretty kill on two to get the Huskers within one, 16-15. Beautiful Rachel Schwartz temporarily went dumb blonde and missed a serve at a bad time, but Ashley, who’s no bimbo, gave it back. Destinee scored again from the back, this time past a mere double block, and then Pao crushed one off a very pretty Engle back set. 19-16.
The refs called Cooper’s next ball in, and the crowd pooped all over that. Juliann laid out to dig Gates’ next swing, but we couldn’t convert and Nebraska scored.
This got us to 19-18, where we had a truly great rally. Yogi over-passed a Banwarth floatie and Mueller was all over it. But Heather stretched out for a great, great cover. Nebraska got some hands on Destinee’s attack. Pao pinged one off Gates’ noggin, and Sydney A. tried a tip, but Sydney Y. scooped it up, and before you knew it, Destinee planted her 10th kill deep. Awesome!
Then to top that, she went sky high over Sydney Anderson and put a kill down left-handed. That was all Cook could take, and he TO’ed again. 21-18.
But that was an exercise in futility, as after a Mueller kill, the Huskers choked up with four errors in a row to lose. First Gates netted. Then Licht spied a Doris/Engle wall and chose to hit her ball way, way out. On the next point, Licht tried to dink but Jen Doris said “I got it!” and chased it down and then high-fived the cheerleaders, Ashley-style. Mueller hit her chance into the student section, and then for good measure hit one way long. We win, 25-19.
So after battling mightily for most of the set, the Huskers went down ugly, much to Cooks’ chagrin. But Destinee was grinnin’, as she’d gotten 12 kills in a most spectacular display. Even Karch was blown away, and praised her D as well as her O.
Cook’s between-set pep talk fizzled, as the Huskers opened set two with more errors. Tara “Cerveza” Mueller hit one out and then got roofed. Lindsey switched the order: first she got roofed, then she hit it out. Cook had had his fill of craptitude and TO’ed.
While Cook aired out a new sermon, the TV folks interviewed stud-muffin Colt McCoy for about two hours. He said Destinee and Juliann are beasts at what they do, which I guess is a compliment in Tuscola. The female announcer was apparently ready to interview Colt indefinitely, but I think Karch intervened: “gag me with a spoon, can we get back to volleyball?”
Post-TO the Huskers got a couple points. But then Ashley and Jenn blocked Licht again. Jenn got so stoked she lost track of the huddle. Jordan got the Huskers back on track and then Ashley’s middle attack was blocked to knot the set, 5-all.
But Gates biffed a serve and Cook no doubt threw a rod. Then Juliann had an off-speed kill after two sparkling defensive gems by TV-D. After Ashley pounced on an overpass with a deft dump over a block, we were up by three, 8-5.
But we had a few errors, and after Engle went body-bowling into the bench in chase of a bad pass, Elliott had to TO at 9-9. Afterwards, we couldn’t pull away, and then Larson absolutely crushed one out of the pipe to give them the lead for good, 11-12. Faucette struggled some more on O, but kept fighting and she & Pao teamed for two Licht roofs in a row to pull within one, 17-18, and force a Husker TO.
But we suffered some more, and Nebraska got some separation. Pao shut down the next Larson pipe attack, and Ashley had a pretty pancake dig but we couldn’t capitalize. Then there was a wild, wild point, where Gates had a great cover of Pao’s block, then Sydney covered Pao’s attack, and finally Nebraska went into or under the net. We scored; it’s 20-23.
Then Ashley hung up a gorgeous set for Destinee and you guessed it, point texas. I thought, hey, 21-23, we can do this! But normally steady Pao served into the net, which was an absolute ball-buster, in a manner of speaking. Yogi then over-passed, which Mueller put down for set point, even with a slight buzz.
Sigh. OK, no sweep, but we were still jazzed.
Set three lived up to the hype, and the two sides traded body blows like demented boxers, or something. Pao opened with an ace. After a few Nebraska scores, Jenn Doris nicely roofed Mueller. Can you say hang over?
We soon saw a sweet Engle overhand dig and then a cover, and then her roomie Heather made an outrageous back bump set for Destinee, who shot it to the corner pocket for a kill. And at 5-6, Heather spatula’ed for a nice pancake dig but Nebraska stymied Destinee’s attack.
On the very next play, our D dazzled: Ashley had two great digs and then Destinee had one and then Ashley had a third! But it was for naught as an over-anxious Faucette got in the net. Argh! Then their setter dumped and Elliott called for a break at 5-9. Hey, this is tense! Tied 1-1, down by 4 in the 3rd?
Coming out of the huddle, Juliann put some spicy mustard on one, like we know she can. We traded points, but couldn’t pull up, even after two Licht errors in a row.
But at 11-15, Destinee fired an epic blast out of the back, again foiling a Husker triple block. A point later she dug a ball that led to a Paolini kill. At 14-17, Destinee soared and scored from the pipe again, and then Kocher stuffed beer-bong Mueller. We were within a point, the crowd was insane, and Cook’s hands were soon perpendicular.
After Cook’s pause, Ashley showed us her sweet lefty-lou swing – only in your dreams, Licht, could you hit like that!
We soon saw a play with a groovy Kisner get and then a great dig that Destinee bombed over on two. At 18-19 Michelle hustled to set yet another crappy pass and Destinee killed to tie things up. Then Jenn Doris gave us the lead and fist pumped for joy.
Faucette lost track of an overhand dig, but Destinee next soared to spike an out of system ball. Licht killed but Ashley did too, and exhorted “Let’s go!!” Then the normally awesome Larson went wide, and Cook TO’ed with the Horns up, 23-21.
For the next play, I lay the blame at Sydney Anderson’s feet. She had Larson at the outside and Cooper in the middle, but backset Licht, here in the crunchiest of crunch times. Blammo! Licht hits out! Faucette looked guilty but took the 5th and no touch was called; the Horns had three set points. We got the second of those, when Kocher made a save of a craptastic pass, enabling Pao to tip for the win. Way to go, frosh!
Jenn Doris was stellar in the 4th. She opened with a strong swing, and then she & Ashley soon roofed Tara “suds” Mueller. Then Jenn dunked for a kill and then solo blocked Gates. So its 5-zip and Cook wants to talk to the troops about maybe figuring out a way to stop Doris. But Kocher’s serving arm stayed warm and she aced the brewski queen. Buzz-kill for Mueller!
At 7-3 Hooker made two great digs in a row, but the crowd’s roar went off like a switch when Cooper went down hurt. It truly sucked to see the great Cooper holding her knee. It was beyond quiet as we Horns’ fans showed our sportsmanship. Strong applause escorted her off-court, and fans & players alike tried to re-focus.
At 8-5 Hooker did the shot where she hovers in the back middle and soft-shots into the 4-spot, but Rachel Schwartz body-surfed for a fantastic save and Sydney A. nicely dumped on two, no pun intended. And then she dumped twice more, the last knotting us at 9-all.
We now had an epic rally: Engle passed a Larson rocket, Larson dug Faucette, Heather Kisner pulled off a great diving pass, Larson then dug Destinee’s back row attack, but Destinee dug one right back and attacked it again, and Rachel Schwatrz dug that one, then Engle had another dig and Kisner then dug a hard shot from Mueller and then Pao roofed Tara. Phew! I got tired just typing that.
After a kill by newbie Wildberger tier it 10-10, we couldn’t pass or serve for a while. Doris banged one hard off a slide. Later Faucette got a kill, then she and Pao stuffed Licht and we were up by one, 16-15. Larson valiantly killed but Ashley next tooled her block to preserve the lead, 17-16. Kisner then made a spectacular dig, and Faucette forcibly rejected Sydney’s dump attempt.
The noob got kill number two. Larson missed a serve, but got it back with two kills running; both were bullets out of the back, and we were tied, 19-all.
Kocher then saved Yogi’s bacon by stuffing down her overpass through about seven Husker blockers. The sides swapped kills awhile and at 21-21 Engle swooped right and hit left into the deep corner for one of those beautiful points only she can make.
The refs then burned the Huskers by calling an imperceptible net at the worst possible time, and I almost felt sorry for Cook, who was PO’ed and TO’ed.
We were up 23-21 and Faucette put the game out of reach with a great dig and a soft kill. Larson saved one match point but Ashley took the next with an emphatic kill! Arrivederci, Huskers!
It was now time for hugs and high-fives and Gregory filled with that lovely roar.
Purists may cringe at our frequent out of system play, but on the other hand, we’re treated to some tremendously athletic feats. And you know what they say, a win is a win is a win….
See you at senior night!
Last year the Horns demolished the AA-loaded Huskers in Gregory. Could this years’ match-up approach the awesomeness of that win?
The fans came through - Gregory was stuffed to the rafters. This sell-out was even more sold out than last years’ match. When Gregory is packed with 4,324 fans, it fills with an awesome, enveloping roar.
I imagine a conversation like this between Destinee and the freshman, Michelle Kocher, just before game time: Destinee: You nervous? Michelle: Well, maybe a little bit. Destinee: Don’t worry. Give me that first ball, OK? We’ll give ‘em something to cheer about, it’ll be so loud it’ll blow the Huskers off the court.
Did she ever. From the very first point. You’ll not often see an athlete take over like Destinee took over the first set. Here’s the play-by-play.
As mentioned, Destinee was on fire, and we stretched out to a 7-5 gap on five Hooker smashes. The Husker setter, Sydney Anderson, spread the ball around, but even the combination of Larson, Cooper and Gates wasn’t enough offense to go toe-to-toe with Destinee. Party-girl Mueller’s first contribution was an attack error and Licht was non-existent. But Juliann struggled on a couple points, and we found ourselves tied, 8-8.
Ashley and Jennifer were up for the big game, too, and both quickly killed. Then Destinee blocked Gates and got another kill, and the spurt put us up 12-9, and Cook clenched up and took his first TO.
Thereafter the play went to Licht. It’s like watching a DC-10 cargo plane lumber towards take-off; you wonder, is this thing ever going to get off the ground? Somehow she managed to crank a kill, though. Then Juliann suffered some more, Gates killed, and we were tied again, 12-12.
Destinee got kill number seven, but gave it back on serve. But from there on out, the Horns pulled ahead. Licht and Larson both errored, and then Destinee had a prodigious back row kill over a triple block, on a broken play, no less. Licht got the next swing and Hooker dug it up; we couldn’t convert and Licht got it down off the block on her second try.
Then Jordan Larson had a pretty kill on two to get the Huskers within one, 16-15. Beautiful Rachel Schwartz temporarily went dumb blonde and missed a serve at a bad time, but Ashley, who’s no bimbo, gave it back. Destinee scored again from the back, this time past a mere double block, and then Pao crushed one off a very pretty Engle back set. 19-16.
The refs called Cooper’s next ball in, and the crowd pooped all over that. Juliann laid out to dig Gates’ next swing, but we couldn’t convert and Nebraska scored.
This got us to 19-18, where we had a truly great rally. Yogi over-passed a Banwarth floatie and Mueller was all over it. But Heather stretched out for a great, great cover. Nebraska got some hands on Destinee’s attack. Pao pinged one off Gates’ noggin, and Sydney A. tried a tip, but Sydney Y. scooped it up, and before you knew it, Destinee planted her 10th kill deep. Awesome!
Then to top that, she went sky high over Sydney Anderson and put a kill down left-handed. That was all Cook could take, and he TO’ed again. 21-18.
But that was an exercise in futility, as after a Mueller kill, the Huskers choked up with four errors in a row to lose. First Gates netted. Then Licht spied a Doris/Engle wall and chose to hit her ball way, way out. On the next point, Licht tried to dink but Jen Doris said “I got it!” and chased it down and then high-fived the cheerleaders, Ashley-style. Mueller hit her chance into the student section, and then for good measure hit one way long. We win, 25-19.
So after battling mightily for most of the set, the Huskers went down ugly, much to Cooks’ chagrin. But Destinee was grinnin’, as she’d gotten 12 kills in a most spectacular display. Even Karch was blown away, and praised her D as well as her O.
Cook’s between-set pep talk fizzled, as the Huskers opened set two with more errors. Tara “Cerveza” Mueller hit one out and then got roofed. Lindsey switched the order: first she got roofed, then she hit it out. Cook had had his fill of craptitude and TO’ed.
While Cook aired out a new sermon, the TV folks interviewed stud-muffin Colt McCoy for about two hours. He said Destinee and Juliann are beasts at what they do, which I guess is a compliment in Tuscola. The female announcer was apparently ready to interview Colt indefinitely, but I think Karch intervened: “gag me with a spoon, can we get back to volleyball?”
Post-TO the Huskers got a couple points. But then Ashley and Jenn blocked Licht again. Jenn got so stoked she lost track of the huddle. Jordan got the Huskers back on track and then Ashley’s middle attack was blocked to knot the set, 5-all.
But Gates biffed a serve and Cook no doubt threw a rod. Then Juliann had an off-speed kill after two sparkling defensive gems by TV-D. After Ashley pounced on an overpass with a deft dump over a block, we were up by three, 8-5.
But we had a few errors, and after Engle went body-bowling into the bench in chase of a bad pass, Elliott had to TO at 9-9. Afterwards, we couldn’t pull away, and then Larson absolutely crushed one out of the pipe to give them the lead for good, 11-12. Faucette struggled some more on O, but kept fighting and she & Pao teamed for two Licht roofs in a row to pull within one, 17-18, and force a Husker TO.
But we suffered some more, and Nebraska got some separation. Pao shut down the next Larson pipe attack, and Ashley had a pretty pancake dig but we couldn’t capitalize. Then there was a wild, wild point, where Gates had a great cover of Pao’s block, then Sydney covered Pao’s attack, and finally Nebraska went into or under the net. We scored; it’s 20-23.
Then Ashley hung up a gorgeous set for Destinee and you guessed it, point texas. I thought, hey, 21-23, we can do this! But normally steady Pao served into the net, which was an absolute ball-buster, in a manner of speaking. Yogi then over-passed, which Mueller put down for set point, even with a slight buzz.
Sigh. OK, no sweep, but we were still jazzed.
Set three lived up to the hype, and the two sides traded body blows like demented boxers, or something. Pao opened with an ace. After a few Nebraska scores, Jenn Doris nicely roofed Mueller. Can you say hang over?
We soon saw a sweet Engle overhand dig and then a cover, and then her roomie Heather made an outrageous back bump set for Destinee, who shot it to the corner pocket for a kill. And at 5-6, Heather spatula’ed for a nice pancake dig but Nebraska stymied Destinee’s attack.
On the very next play, our D dazzled: Ashley had two great digs and then Destinee had one and then Ashley had a third! But it was for naught as an over-anxious Faucette got in the net. Argh! Then their setter dumped and Elliott called for a break at 5-9. Hey, this is tense! Tied 1-1, down by 4 in the 3rd?
Coming out of the huddle, Juliann put some spicy mustard on one, like we know she can. We traded points, but couldn’t pull up, even after two Licht errors in a row.
But at 11-15, Destinee fired an epic blast out of the back, again foiling a Husker triple block. A point later she dug a ball that led to a Paolini kill. At 14-17, Destinee soared and scored from the pipe again, and then Kocher stuffed beer-bong Mueller. We were within a point, the crowd was insane, and Cook’s hands were soon perpendicular.
After Cook’s pause, Ashley showed us her sweet lefty-lou swing – only in your dreams, Licht, could you hit like that!
We soon saw a play with a groovy Kisner get and then a great dig that Destinee bombed over on two. At 18-19 Michelle hustled to set yet another crappy pass and Destinee killed to tie things up. Then Jenn Doris gave us the lead and fist pumped for joy.
Faucette lost track of an overhand dig, but Destinee next soared to spike an out of system ball. Licht killed but Ashley did too, and exhorted “Let’s go!!” Then the normally awesome Larson went wide, and Cook TO’ed with the Horns up, 23-21.
For the next play, I lay the blame at Sydney Anderson’s feet. She had Larson at the outside and Cooper in the middle, but backset Licht, here in the crunchiest of crunch times. Blammo! Licht hits out! Faucette looked guilty but took the 5th and no touch was called; the Horns had three set points. We got the second of those, when Kocher made a save of a craptastic pass, enabling Pao to tip for the win. Way to go, frosh!
Jenn Doris was stellar in the 4th. She opened with a strong swing, and then she & Ashley soon roofed Tara “suds” Mueller. Then Jenn dunked for a kill and then solo blocked Gates. So its 5-zip and Cook wants to talk to the troops about maybe figuring out a way to stop Doris. But Kocher’s serving arm stayed warm and she aced the brewski queen. Buzz-kill for Mueller!
At 7-3 Hooker made two great digs in a row, but the crowd’s roar went off like a switch when Cooper went down hurt. It truly sucked to see the great Cooper holding her knee. It was beyond quiet as we Horns’ fans showed our sportsmanship. Strong applause escorted her off-court, and fans & players alike tried to re-focus.
At 8-5 Hooker did the shot where she hovers in the back middle and soft-shots into the 4-spot, but Rachel Schwartz body-surfed for a fantastic save and Sydney A. nicely dumped on two, no pun intended. And then she dumped twice more, the last knotting us at 9-all.
We now had an epic rally: Engle passed a Larson rocket, Larson dug Faucette, Heather Kisner pulled off a great diving pass, Larson then dug Destinee’s back row attack, but Destinee dug one right back and attacked it again, and Rachel Schwatrz dug that one, then Engle had another dig and Kisner then dug a hard shot from Mueller and then Pao roofed Tara. Phew! I got tired just typing that.
After a kill by newbie Wildberger tier it 10-10, we couldn’t pass or serve for a while. Doris banged one hard off a slide. Later Faucette got a kill, then she and Pao stuffed Licht and we were up by one, 16-15. Larson valiantly killed but Ashley next tooled her block to preserve the lead, 17-16. Kisner then made a spectacular dig, and Faucette forcibly rejected Sydney’s dump attempt.
The noob got kill number two. Larson missed a serve, but got it back with two kills running; both were bullets out of the back, and we were tied, 19-all.
Kocher then saved Yogi’s bacon by stuffing down her overpass through about seven Husker blockers. The sides swapped kills awhile and at 21-21 Engle swooped right and hit left into the deep corner for one of those beautiful points only she can make.
The refs then burned the Huskers by calling an imperceptible net at the worst possible time, and I almost felt sorry for Cook, who was PO’ed and TO’ed.
We were up 23-21 and Faucette put the game out of reach with a great dig and a soft kill. Larson saved one match point but Ashley took the next with an emphatic kill! Arrivederci, Huskers!
It was now time for hugs and high-fives and Gregory filled with that lovely roar.
Purists may cringe at our frequent out of system play, but on the other hand, we’re treated to some tremendously athletic feats. And you know what they say, a win is a win is a win….
See you at senior night!
