Bullettes Ace Savage TestGriffith serves up eight of Mediapolis' 18 aces in victory over Sigourney. By GARY HADENFELDT sports@thehawkeye.com MEDIAPOLIS — After launching a serve beyond the end line midway through Game 3 of Tuesday's Class
2A high school district volleyball final against Sigourney at Vernon "Bud" McLearn Court, Mediapolis sophomore Brittany Griffith sheepishly covered her face with her hand as she moved over one position to the middle of the back row. It was the only moment during the evening that she need feel any embarrassment. Six times in the match Griffith substituted in to serve. On only two occasions — both in the second game — did she fail to start off with an ace. Griffith's serving knife slashed through the Savages for eight aces, leading an impressive Mediapolis display of serving prowess as the Bullettes swept the Savages 25–22, 25–21, 25–17. "When you come in off the bench you just have to concentrate," Griffith said. "I was mainly just trying to get the ball in. (Assistant coach Steve Rheinschmidt) had me spot serving tonight. "It was really different. This was my first actual match playing all the way through. It's my first year of playing back row, period." Juniors Monica Holsteen and Marissa Dideriksen complemented Griffith with five aces each, giving the Bullettes the astronomical total of 18. "That may be a team record," Mediapolis coach Dennis Jandrey said. "I'll have to look it up. "We go in with the attitude that we want to serve tough." Even the serves that did not go for aces were effective, for the most part. In Griffith's second game 3 appearance — a 5–0 run that began and ended with aces — two consecutive serves came right back to the middle of Mediapolis' half of the court. Bethany Weber converted both of those serve–receive gifts into kills. "They did a good job of making our passers move," Sigourney coach Chris Carter said. "Passing is a key to the game — if you can't get the ball to the setter, your game struggles." Griffith's first appearance produced Mediapolis' initial lead in the match at 2–1. Sigourney battled back to forge a 10–6 lead, when a pair of kills by Lydia Ertz started the Bullettes on the road to a 12–11 advantage. They would not trail in the game again. Two consecutive aces by Dideriksen, two aces by Griffith, and an ace by Holsteen helped the Bullettes to game point. Fittingly, Dideriksen ended the first game with an ace. Holsteen played a key role in Game 2, serving Mediapolis to a 10–4 lead with a six–point run. "Monica did a good job of chasing their people around with her serve," Jandrey said. Sigourney answered with its own 6–0 run to even the game at 10–10. Four consecutive points by senior middle hitter Sam Mikota — who closed out her high school career with a match–high 12 kills — opened the run and two straight aces by Kristine Ballensky closed it. "(Sam) has been our go–to player all year," Carter said. "She really showed up to play tonight — hitting, diving on the floor on defense — we have relied on her since she was a sophomore. She's been a force." "She could really move the ball around," Griffith said. "You had to adjust to where she was going to hit it." With the score knotted at 20, Holsteen's three–point serving run gave Mediapolis some breathing room. Then, on Weber's serve, Jesika McLaughlin stuffed the serve–receive pass at the net to give the Bullettes a two–game advantage. Griffith was back on track in the final game, evening the contest at 2–2 with an ace and serving three more aces in a 5–0 run that put Mediapolis up 16–9. A Sigourney violation put Mediapolis at match point, 24–17. Weber again served a bullet that was passed right back to the net, where Dideriksen stuffed it to end the match. The Bullettes (28–13) now face Mid–Prairie (18–14) in a regional semifinal starting at 7 p.m. Thursday in Wellman. Sigourney Kills — Sam Mikota 12, Maureen Mohr 3, Codi Workman 3, Mackenzie Mateer 2 Assists — Kristine Ballensky 17 Service aces — Ballensky 4, Mohr 1, Mateer 1, Sara Wohler 1 Blocks — Mikota 4, Mateer 1 Digs — Jaclyn Flynn 5, Lisa Mendenhall 5, Mohr 5, Mikota 4, Ballensky 4 Mediapolis Kills — Bethany Weber 9, Lydia Ertz 5, Monica Holsteen 4, Marissa Dideriksen 4, Emily Kester 2, Jesika McLaughlin 2 Assists — Kester 18, Dideriksen 2, Holsteen 1, Ertz 1 Service aces — Brittany Griffith 8, Holsteen 5, Dideriksen 5 Blocks — Weber 3 Digs — Griffith 9, Dideriksen 8, Holsteen 7, Amber Scott 6, Ertz 5 |
