Underdog Crusaders begin title defense
By Steven Allspach | Posted: Monday, October 27, 2008
For Bishop Heelan, winning a third straight Class 3A state volleyball title won't be a charm.
But, achieving a three-peat in any sport is never easy.
Especially when there are two schools ranked higher this season in 3A -- No. 1 Mount Vernon (28-1) and No. 2 Marion (35-5).
"I guess we defied the odds when we won last year,'' said Heelan Coach Lori Slight, who sends her team into regional tournament play tonight at home against Sergeant Bluff-Luton. "Nobody expected us to win last year and everybody this year is talking about Mount Vernon this and Mount Vernon that.
"But, you know, I'm OK with that. I'd rather be the underdog. Right now, you have to find a way to win. You go big or you go home. The girls fully understand that.''
Heelan takes a 36-11 record into the duel with 17-10 SB-L. The Crusaders swept the Warriors last week 25-10, 29-27, 25-6.
Last year, the Crusaders defeated Mount Vernon in the 3A title match in four games after first defeating longtime state tourney rival Dubuque Wahlert in the first round and then upsetting No.1-ranked West Delaware in the semifinals.
Heelan, in Slight's first season at the coaching helm last season, finished a 36-16 campaign with the number of losses representing the most ever in Iowa for a state title club.
Heelan, which begins a quest for an 11th straight state tourney berth, defeated West Delaware in the 2006 championship match.
Class 4A regional action also commences tonight with West (2-29) hosting North (20-16). The West-North winner squares off with East (22-17) in a semfinal match Thursday at East.
In the lower half of Region 1, Fort Dodge meets Ames tonight and winner takes on second-ranked Ankeny Thursday. The regional final is at Fort Dodge on Nov. 4.
The two West wins are over Class 1A schools Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn and Armstrong-Ringsted.
The Wolverines of Coach Jamie Snyder have lost 66 of 73 sets in their 31 matches.
Co-coaches Kim Mounts and Linda LaPlante have guided East to a 61-45 sets (formerly games) record.
Carli Tritz and Kelsey Tweet, mainstays on Heelan's title team a year ago, are two of the top Crusader hitters. Tritz, a junior, has 232 kills and Tweet 190. Second on the team in kills is Baylee Strachan, a transfer from North, with 209.
The Crusaders lead the state in digs and ace serves.
The top two hitters for Coach Malina Ard's North team are sophomore Brittni Donaldson and senior Audrey Erickson with 242 and 230 kills, respectively.
Kendall Downs leads West with 63 kills, two more than Lacey Combs.
East, idle until Thursday, turned in a big win in the Heelan Classic just over week ago, beating Heelan 21-9, 25-23 in pool play before falling to the Crusaders in the title match.
Senior Emily McCarthy (277), sophomore Melissa Mounts (235), Brianna Mozer (178) and Megan Stiles (175) lead East in kills.
Regional play in Class 2A and 1A resumes Tuesday.
The 2008 state tournament is Nov. 12-15 at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.
But, achieving a three-peat in any sport is never easy.
Especially when there are two schools ranked higher this season in 3A -- No. 1 Mount Vernon (28-1) and No. 2 Marion (35-5).
"I guess we defied the odds when we won last year,'' said Heelan Coach Lori Slight, who sends her team into regional tournament play tonight at home against Sergeant Bluff-Luton. "Nobody expected us to win last year and everybody this year is talking about Mount Vernon this and Mount Vernon that.
"But, you know, I'm OK with that. I'd rather be the underdog. Right now, you have to find a way to win. You go big or you go home. The girls fully understand that.''
Heelan takes a 36-11 record into the duel with 17-10 SB-L. The Crusaders swept the Warriors last week 25-10, 29-27, 25-6.
Last year, the Crusaders defeated Mount Vernon in the 3A title match in four games after first defeating longtime state tourney rival Dubuque Wahlert in the first round and then upsetting No.1-ranked West Delaware in the semifinals.
Heelan, in Slight's first season at the coaching helm last season, finished a 36-16 campaign with the number of losses representing the most ever in Iowa for a state title club.
Heelan, which begins a quest for an 11th straight state tourney berth, defeated West Delaware in the 2006 championship match.
Class 4A regional action also commences tonight with West (2-29) hosting North (20-16). The West-North winner squares off with East (22-17) in a semfinal match Thursday at East.
In the lower half of Region 1, Fort Dodge meets Ames tonight and winner takes on second-ranked Ankeny Thursday. The regional final is at Fort Dodge on Nov. 4.
The two West wins are over Class 1A schools Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn and Armstrong-Ringsted.
The Wolverines of Coach Jamie Snyder have lost 66 of 73 sets in their 31 matches.
Co-coaches Kim Mounts and Linda LaPlante have guided East to a 61-45 sets (formerly games) record.
Carli Tritz and Kelsey Tweet, mainstays on Heelan's title team a year ago, are two of the top Crusader hitters. Tritz, a junior, has 232 kills and Tweet 190. Second on the team in kills is Baylee Strachan, a transfer from North, with 209.
The Crusaders lead the state in digs and ace serves.
The top two hitters for Coach Malina Ard's North team are sophomore Brittni Donaldson and senior Audrey Erickson with 242 and 230 kills, respectively.
Kendall Downs leads West with 63 kills, two more than Lacey Combs.
East, idle until Thursday, turned in a big win in the Heelan Classic just over week ago, beating Heelan 21-9, 25-23 in pool play before falling to the Crusaders in the title match.
Senior Emily McCarthy (277), sophomore Melissa Mounts (235), Brianna Mozer (178) and Megan Stiles (175) lead East in kills.
Regional play in Class 2A and 1A resumes Tuesday.
The 2008 state tournament is Nov. 12-15 at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.
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