State proves too much for young MC squad

By rscaife
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Updated: October 4, 2017

State College 3, Mifflin County 0
SC 25 25 25
MC 10 11 15

By Kenny Varner
LEWISTOWN – In a rematch from earlier in the season, the State College Little Lion volleyball team showed why it is ranked high in the Mid-Penn League as it defeated a young and up and coming Mifflin County team 3-0 in Mifflin County’s Dawg Pound Tuesday.
Despite losing 25-10, 25-11 and 25-15, there was a big difference in the Lady Huskies play from the first time as they were able to maintain long volleys with the tough Lady Little Lions before State was able to finish.
“We struggled reading what they were doing at the net a little bit. After we started to catch on we had some good touches on the balls upfront. We got some blocks up and started getting our shots up, especially in the third game,” Mifflin County coach Krystena Brown said. “But it’s that capitalizing, that finishing is what we seem to be still struggling with.”
For the Huskies, they saved their best game for last, hanging with the tough Lion team early on.
State College opened the third game with two consecutive service points by Jess Irwin. Irwin was tough from the back line and frontline, finishing numerous volleys with deadly accuracy.
Mifflin County cut the lead to 2-1 on a side out but then watched the Little Lions make their first run of the game.
With a side out and the ball, Katie Finlan put her team up 5-1 thanks to two more service points by the visitors.
Both teams exchanged side outs twice before the Huskies got back in the game.
With the ball and trailing 6-3 after a Madison Tate spike to win the side out, teammate Alicia Berryman was able to roll off four consecutive service points, taking the lead at 7-6.
In that run, Berryman was tough on the frontline and so was her teammates Olivia Wagner and Jade Morningstar who kept the ball in the opponents’ side.
But like great teams always do, State College was able to go on a run of its own, taking back the momentum.
After tying things at seven, Erin Lutz stood tall at the line and rolled off seven consecutive points. The highlight of which came on an ace, making it a 14-7 advantage for the Little Lions.
Back and forth twice with side outs, State got the ball once again and was able to get a single service point by Leah Henderson thanks to an explosive spike by Irwin, upping the lead to 17-9.
Both teams once again traded two side out opportunities as the ball went back into the possession of State.
Once again, Finlan was again a force from the service line as she added two more service points to her tally. In the span of three consecutive points the Little Lions got spikes from Anna LeTendre and Rachel Fedorko, putting their lead into double digit advantage at 21-11.
Though the Huskies were able to keep stride-for-stride down the stretch, Mifflin County wasn’t able to mount the comeback against the veteran squad of State College.
In the first game, State College had an early 8-2 advantage and never looked back as it finished with a 25-10 victory.
Irwin had six service points in the game while teammate Anjelica Rubin, Henderson and Finlan tallied three each.
State College took control over the game early in the second game as well, posting an early 9-4 advantage before winning 25-11.
Mifflin County battles Cedar Cliff next.