October 14, 2020 at 12:21 p.m.
Volleyball: Short-handed Hodags hang tough against Lakeland
Volleyball: Short-handed Hodags hang tough against Lakeland
The seventh-place Hodags were unable to get past the fifth-place T-Birds, falling in straight sets 25-18, 25-23, 25-18 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. But the result was better for the Hodags than a 12, 18 and 9 loss at Lakeland in the first go around and was accomplished with three varsity players - Ariel Pauer, Brynn Brzycki and Allie Dornfeld - out due to health concerns, according to multiple sources.
"I didn't know what to expect coming into this, down our three tallest players - two of our right sides and one of our middles," Hodag coach Jim Povolo said. "I just thought we played really gutsy. I talked to them about playing like they had nothing to lose because, honestly, we didn't. I don't think anybody expected us to do much of anything, and we made a game of it.
We made it competitive."
The Hodags showed flashes in each of the three sets, but were unable to get an elusive set victory. Trailing 23-14 in the first, the Hodags rallied for a string of four straight points before Lakeland closed out the set.
The Hodags fell behind 13-4 early in the second set before going on an 9-1 run to get within a point. Rhinelander eventually took a 21-18 lead following a string of Lakeland errors, but was unable to hold on. Lakeland took seven of the final nine points to go up 2-0 in the match, ending the set on a pair of service aces by freshman Meg Pfannerstill.
"At this point, if the other team calls a timeout, I consider that kind of a victory," Povolo said, alluding to a timeout Lakeland spent with the teams tied at 17 in the second. "We need those little rewards for us and, tonight, gave us some of those things.
"I can't help but wonder if it's because we've seen that sort of situation so seldomly that we're not mentally tough to take care of that, to close those things out. We get that momentum, we get that ball with an opportunity and then we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot late in those (sets). All we can do is try to be better."
A five-point spurt midway through the third set proved to be the difference as Lakeland took a 19-11 lead and the teams traded sideouts virtually the remainder of the set.
With a number of attackers out, the Hodags moved 5-3 senior Hannah Worachek from libero to an outside hitter. She ended the night with a team-high four kills while adding four digs and a service ace.
"She is probably one of if not the best athlete on the floor for our team. If she were six inches taller, I really think she'd be all-area and she could do it all," Povolo said. "She hits the ball a ton but even when she's faced with a block, she's so smart. She'll put it down the line. She'll tip it to the open spot. That's one of those things I wish I could have done earlier in the season, but our passing and our defense, far too many overpasses and shanked balls. That's the main reason we've kept her back there the whole season. She gives us some sense of consistent passing."
Emily Jorgensen chipped in four kills while Ava Lamers had three kills and a block. Reagan Hartman moved to libero with Worachek playing all around and finished with a team-high six digs. Olivia TerBeest had seven assists while Addi DeMeyer chipped in five assists and a service ace. In addition to taking the libero jersey off of Worachek, the Hodags brought up freshman Mya Krouze to add some height in the middle.
"I thought she acquitted herself nicely," Povolo said. "It is what it is. She's inexperienced, but she's athletic and she gave us something. She gave us a few swings out there and I was just hoping, so badly, to get her a kill. That would have been the cherry on top."
The Hodags (0-8, 0-7 Great Northern) close out the regular season tonight at home against Tomahawk and will open WIAA tournament play this coming Tuesday at Ashland. Rhinelander was the fifth-seed in a five-team Division 1 regional and will get a rematch with the Oredockers, who beat the Hodags in five sets back on Sept. 29. The winner will face top-seeded Merrill next Thursday.
"What it essentially is, is a play-in but, you know what, it's another opportunity for us against a team that I think we can compete against," Povolo said. "We had them 2-0 and then we just kind of fell apart. This time I want it to be 3-0 and we're done with it and then we get to go play a tough team after that."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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