Central Mountain Volleyball nips BEA on Senior Night
By Tom Elling
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA- It was almost something out of a dickens’ novel- the best of times and the worst of times – for the Lady Wildcat volleyball team.
Looking like they might sweep in three on Senior Night, the ladies forgot to alert the visitors.
CM jumped out quickly, winning the first two sets with relative ease (25-17 and 25-18). But the momentum switched as BEA played much better in set three, streaking to a 25-18 win. They continued their excellent team play into the fourth game, outlasting CM, 25-20. Not even a mistimed fire alarm could stall the Eagles. Their set-ups and slams were near perfect as they looked much better than their 4-5 record. They had lost four in a row, and by all counts should have gone away quietly.
First year coach Zach Rote (a Central Mountain alum) had different ideas as his team pressed CM into their fourth sudden victory match of the season.
Wildcat coach Chip McCann noted afterwards that this was the first time CM won one of those 5-set contests.
“We had to pull it back together after BEA took the momentum away from us. They played well, but it was senior night and as I told the four seniors (and the whole team) it was up to them to make the night a positive one.”
“I wish I knew what the difference was from the first two sets to the next two, but give BEA credit. They played hard. Speaking of our four seniors (Tori Marquardt, Olivia Rockey, Emilee Heverly, and Kyleigh McDermit), they built the foundation for this team. They have been our key to success.”
It was especially one of the seniors, Kyleigh McDermit, who literally took over in the 5th set to propel the team to their seventh win of the season. Her smashes and blocks gave CM the cushion they needed to edge the feisty rivals from twenty-eight miles down the road.
Central Mountain is now 7-4, and will next play in the Windber Tournament on Saturday; host Williamsport on Tuesday and the next night travel to Wellsboro.
