Douglas High volleyball coach Suzi Townsell found out Wednesday night that
she will be able to count on her complementary players in the upcoming
regional playoffs.
The Tigers used their entire roster en route to a 25-12, 25-23 and 28-26
victory over archrival Carson in a Sierra League battle at Morse Burley
Gymnasium.
Jourdan Burke, one of the top players in the region, didn¹t play at all in
the third game for the Tigers, and teammate Shannon Dugan played just a few points in the final game.
³We mixed up our lineup in the second and third games,² said Townsell.
³There are 15 of us and I wanted to give everybody playing time, especially
since it was our last league game. If something happens (to one of the
starters) we can put subs in and still play through it.
³Also, we were looking for people who could not only serve but play in the
back row, too.²
Carson started fast in the opening game, using kills by Tiana
McAllister-Daggs and Elysse Virden plus a kill and stuff block by Jeanette
VanSickle to take an early 6-3 advantage.
The Tigers roared back, scoring 15 of the next 17 points to grab a 16-8
lead. Burke contributed a kill and Dugan served up three straight aces.
Becca Antti also had an ace in the barrage.
³We started fast,² Carson coach Justin Malley said. ³I have no idea what
caused the light switch to go off.
³It looked like they were going after our libero (Alexis Church) on those
serves. She had been playing lights out the last two weeks, and she went
from being back-up to winning the starting job. She wasn¹t moving her feet.²
Carson cut the deficit to 16-9, but Douglas scored nine of the next 12 to
end the opening set. Emily Garcia had two kills and then teamed with Dugan
to block McAllister-Daggs. Setter Jackie Harper also contributed an ace
serve.
Douglas led the bulk of the second game, as Burke had two key stuff blocks
and Dugan hammered home two kills off the hands of Carson defenders for a
14-9 lead.
Carson stormed back, scoring 12 of the next 16 for a 21-18 lead thanks to
the play of Bailey Valente, Virden, Kristalee Wolfe and McAllister-Daggs.
Valente had an ace and a kill, McAllister-Daggs had a nice tip, Virden had
two kills and Wolfe had a kill.
Valente gave Carson a nice spark, She¹s been sidelined with injury problems
all year.
³She¹s a good player,² Malley said. ³She¹s very aggressive. She would have
made a big difference this year.²
Douglas roared back, and Carson was unable to answer.
A ballhandling mistake and a long spike by VanSickle plus kills by Brenna
White and Burke keyed a 4-0 run and gave the Tigers a 22-21 lead. Virden
tied the game with a nice spike off the hands of a Douglas defender. The
Tigers scored three of the next four to close out the game, as Dugan punched
in the game-winner.
The final game was tied seven different times, and both teams made plenty of
mistakes. Between the teams there were five service errors.
Carson used two Douglas mistakes to take a 9-8 lead, but the Tigers scored
six of the next eight for a 14-11 lead. The surge started with three Carson
mistakes, but Carly McCullough pounded one off a Carson defender and Hailey
Sclafani served up an ace.
Douglas led 20-15, but a kill by Virden and a block by McAllister-Daggs cut
the deficit to 20-18. A kill by Erin Allison made it 21-18, but Carson
bounced back and made it 21-20 on a kill by Wolfe and a net violation.
A kill by McCullough and an ace by Allison made it 23-20 and Carson rallied
to 23-22 thanks to a kill by Wolfe and a combined block by VanSickle and
Valente. The Tigers served for the match at 24-22, but two kills by
VanSickle enabled Carson to take a 25-24 lead. Garcia¹s kill tied the game
at 25. It stayed tied at 26, and then Douglas scored two straight when
VanSickle¹s spike sailed long and Angela Augusta hit into the net to end it.
³We played tough the last two games,² Malley said. ³Douglas just made one or
two more plays down the stretch the last two games.
Virden finished with seven kills and three blocks, VanSickle had six kills
and four blocks, Brittany Wyatt had 12 digs and Meagan Nuckolls finished
with 17 assists.
Carson closes out its home season Monday at 6 against Spanish Springs and
then visits Yerington on Tuesday.
