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October 24, 2009

Lady Falcons supreme

By GREG KEIM

The Falcons were flying high Saturday night.

Fairfield took just 47 minutes to defeat the LaVille Lancers 25-14, 25-10, 25-10 in the championship match of a Class 2A high school girls volleyball sectional at Bremen.

It’s the sixth straight sectional title for the program and seventh overall. The first was in 1979.

“We came to play,” Fairfield coach Carla Herschberger said. “I was afraid they might underestimate LaVille. We tried to run a few things that we need practice on.”

The Falcons (29-4) advance to the Westview regional next Saturday.

Sectional champions from North Newton and Churubusco meet in the 11 a.m. opener, followed by the Falcons and River Forest winner. The finale is slated for 7 p.m.

Fairfield controlled the net and senior middle blocker Katie Gall got some practice tipping the ball.

“A kill is a kill,” Herschberger said. “Gall sees the entire floor and if that is what is open she goes for it. When we started the season we could hit the ball hard but not move it around. Tonight we did.”

Sophomore outside hitter Haley Bechtel paced the Falcons in kills with 14, senior middle blocker Emily Waits chipped in with seven, junior outside hitter Jamie Stack six and Gall four.

“We have such an even team. The kills were balanced,” Herschberger said. “It’s a different player every night. I wish someone would tell me how to pick a most valuable player on this team.”

Fairfield’s freshman setter Riley Troyer amassed 41 assists.

“We have a lot more confidence in Troyer than we did at the beginning of the season,” Waits said.

Senior outside hitter Kaija Wimmer said, “Playing with Riley during the season has given us confidence in her. This team goes by how she goes.”

The Falcons had a few troubles with serves going long but still Stack notched seven aces, Bechtel two, Gall and Troyer both one.

“I think the long serves were due to adrenaline,” Herschberger said. “That is understandable since Gall is the only player who had played in a sectional before this week.”

Fairfield graduated six senior standouts from a team which finished 34-5 and was a Class 2A state finalist a year ago.

“This is more exciting,” Waits said. “We did something to win this title.”

Wimmer added, “This team has good chemistry. We are very close on and off the court.”

Defense was another key to victory. Junior Amanda Cross had nine digs, Bechtel eight, Stack seven and Winner five.

LaVille kept it close at the start of the first game. Fairfield was leading 14-9 before expanding the lead to 17-10 on kills by Gall and Waits, plus a couple service errors by the Lancers. The Falcons continued to pull away and Stack recorded the final point with a kill.

Stack got the Falcons off to a good start in the second game, serving the first four points. Fairfield went on to open a 10-4 lead on back-to-back aces by Bechtel. The margin grew to 12 points (21-9) before Gall, Bechtel and Waits accounted for the last three points on kills.

The third game was similar to the second. Fairfield had a 3-1 lead and LaVille closed to within two points (5-3), only to have the Falcons pull away to a 13-6 advantage on an ace by Stack.

Later in the final game Herschberger put some of the reserves in and freshman outside hitter Ellen Line clinched the sectional championship with a kill.

Both Waits and Wimmer expressed thanks to their coach who increased her career record to 324-94 in 12 seasons and 254-58 in her ninth season at Fairfield.

“I love Coach Carla,” Wimmer said.

Waits added, “She is always encouraging and never gives up on us.”



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