Archive: Sports

Fourth-seeded Lansing defeated 5th-seeded Sidney on the Bobcats' home court in the Class C Section IV quarter-final on 11/2/2010. Lansing's Tara Miller scored the match's first point, a kill in center court assisted by Hannah Armstrong. Sidney quickly responded with service points and a kill, putting Lansing behind 1-4. But a dig by Kelsey Thomas led to another Miller kill, this time assisted by Breanna Brann, who would add 12 more assists during the match.

The pattern quickly repeated twice more. Thomas passed to Brann, who set up a kill by Amber Howser and then Armstrong, tying the set 5-5. Miller added an ace and a back-row kill, 9-7, and Carolyn Prybyl put away a Sydney overpass, 10-7. Though Sydney scored a couple aces, Lansing responded in kind with an ace each by Armstrong and Howser. Two kills by Shanna Shaff magnified the Bobcats' lead, 17-10. A few unforced errors barely produced a hiccup, as Lansing continued to deliver winning teamwork. Nicole Washburn deftly translated Sydney's serves into Lansing attacks, feeding kills by Thomas and Miller, who also tallied a block, 22-15. Two Sydney errors and a kill by Howser wrapped up the set 25-15.

Lansing's momentum carried into the 2nd set. Miller and Armstrong blocked Sydney's first attack, then Miller served while Armstrong racked up a hat trick of kills, and Prybyl again added an unassisted kill, 9-1. A Howser kill extended Lansing's lead to 10 points, 12-2, and 2 Thomas kills maintained the spread, 17-7. The quarter-finals were looking good. Too good. Lansing lost 4 points to attack errors and another to a rotation error before a Miller ace staunched the bleeding, 19-13. Sally Stoyell hustled to pick up Sydney's attacks near the net, Prybyl placed a kill along an outside line, and then Howser assisted Shaff and Prybyl each to another kill, reestablishing a 10-point spread, 24-14. The set looked sewn up, yet 6 different Lansing players committed errors and the score narrowed to 24-21 before Sydney served long and delivered the Bobcats from their ignominy, 25-21.

In the 3rd set, Sydney's serves caused Lansing trouble, and the Bobcats' offense found the court too short and the net too high. Lansing trailed by 1-2 points during the first half of the set. Howser produced Lansing's first 2 kills and Thomas another. Prybyl's blocking scored a direct point and caused a Sydney error, drawing the teams even at 11-11. But again, the Lansing squad was foiled by Sydney's serves and their own attack, gaining only 3 points to Sydney's 10, 14-21. At this point, the team rallied. With Brann serving, Washburn produced 2 digs, Brann an ace, and Miller 2 kills, 20-21, while double-blocks by Miller and Armstrong pressured Sydney's attack. Lansing drew ahead 24-21, then Brann stumbled on her 10th consecutive serve, 24-22. Sydney followed with an ace, 24-23. An attempted block by Miller dropped on Lansing' side of the net, but she picked it up, and Washburn kept it in play. Persistence then paid off. While Miller cut the angle, Armstrong blocked a Sydney kill, 25-23.

Miller contributed 6 kills, 5 aces, 3 blocks, 4 digs, 13 service points; Brann 13 assists, 1 ace, 11 service points; Armstrong 8 assists, 5 kills, 3 aces, 2 blocks, 6 service points; Howser 5 kills, 2 assists, 2 aces, 3 digs, 10 service points; Thomas 4 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace, 7 service points; Prybyl 4 kills, 1 block; Washburn 5 digs; Stoyell 3 digs, 4 service points.

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