October 19, 2020 at 8:34 a.m.
RHS volleyball falls to Tomahawk in regular season finale
RHS volleyball falls to Tomahawk in regular season finale
The Hodags generated a season-high 23 kills but could not get over the hump against Tomahawk, falling 25-20, 25-22, 25-8 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Rhinelander was still without Ariel Pauer and Brynn Brzycki in the front row due to health concerns, but the Hodags had multiple kills from five different players on the night.
"I guess I expected that they'd play harder in their absence, which I really think they've achieved," coach Jim Povolo said. "They've played their hearts out both matches, especially last night, but I didn't know that we'd have the success that we've had with the different rotations that we had set up."
Despite the success, the Hodags could not overcome their bugaboo of falling in close sets. Rhinelander was up 16-10 on Tomahawk in the first before the Hatchets roared back to score 15 of the final 19 points. The second was also back and fourth until Tomahawk eked out a few points to pull away at the end of the set.
"We had a difficult serve-receive rotation and they had a pretty decent server up there, so we lose a few points that way and then we then we start making some unforced errors with hitting errors or what have you," Povolo said. "I think it's a mental block, I really do, because every single set that we are in, when we get that 18, 19, 20-point mark, we just can't help but sabotage ourselves. I really don't know what it is other than it has to be a mental block. The pressure builds at the end of a set like that and we're just not accustomed to it and can't handle it."
Tomahawk raced ahead 17-8 in the third set and Povolo said he made the decision, at that point, to put in some of his reserves to finish out the final home match of the season.
Ava Lamers led Rhinelander with seven kills on the evening and senior Hannah Worachek, playing her second game as an outside hitter with Pauer and Brzycki out, had six kills on only 13 attempts. Olivia TerBeest had a season-high 24 assists in the match.
"The fact that we were able to get 23 kills as a team, that's more than double our average output otherwise," Povolo said. "I think that's a product of Livi setting all the way around. She had 24 assists. You get the consistency of the set rather than bopping between two different setters. It's just a lot of different things, but I think it's the end of the season and we're finally come together."
Libero Reagan Hartman had 10 digs, Worachek added eight digs and a service ace and Lamers recorded a block kill for Rhinelander.
The Hodags (0-9, 0-8 Great Northern) open WIAA tournament play tonight at the scene of their most competitive match of the season, on the road at Ashland. When the teams played on Sept. 29, Rhinelander took the first two sets, but could not hang on in a 23-25, 22-25, 25-15, 25-12, 15-9 defeat.
Povolo noted that Pauer and Brzycki are expected to be back in the lineup this evening.
"Everything will be the same as when we them played them previously, except with the addition of Hannah on the outside," Povolo said. "It spreads things out. It makes their middle blockers, rather than just sit on Ariel and Ava, now they've got to try to run to the pins and get a block. If we can balance it out against Ashland, I think that gives us an advantage over our last performance and that's, hopefully, all we need."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.