Lady Gators sweep past California
HERMINIE – Geibel defeated California 3-0 in the first round of the WPIAL Class A girls volleyball playoffs, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to both coaches after the game. Cal coach Cathy Urban Smith was pleased with her team’s performance in spite of the loss, while Geibel coach Rick Watkins was disappointed with his defending champs in the win.
“I’d give it, say, a C minus,” said Watkins. “First of all we didn’t serve well; too many unforced errors. We weren’t into the match and I had this bad feeling we were going to come out a little stale because we hadn’t played for weeks.”
When reminded his team was sluggish to open last season’s championship run, Watkins said: “We won the WPIAL last year and early on we had a couple of clunkers, so if that’s getting a bad one out of the way … California did some nice things. After talking to a few people, I wasn’t expecting as much hitting and defense as they showed. They did a nice job. For whatever reason they came ready to play and they gave us a game.”
Cal took early leads in the first two games of the best-of-five match. Cal led by 10-6 in the first game, but the game turned during a delay in which the Cal rotation was questioned. With a 15-12 lead, Geibel went on a run behind server Samantha Hawk. When she was done Geibel led 19-13.
Outside hitter Natalie Hozak had a back-and-forth battle at the net with Autumn Harris and Tori Bennett of Cal before Hozak dinked a third shot for a 22-15 lead.
Carly Ciarochi drove home the winning point in Geibel’s 25-16 win.
Geibel struggled getting its serve over the net in the second game as Cal jumped to a 10-5 lead. Once again Hawk sparked Geibel with her line-drive serves and Geibel rallied to tie the match at 12-12. Cal hung with Geibel until the end, but Hozak crushed point No. 24 and put down point 25 for Geibel’s 25-21 win.
The third and deciding game was all Geibel. With Chelsey Kreinbrook serving, Hawk hitting and Caroline Renne blocking, Geibel jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Cal’s Tara Prentice ended the run with a block. Geibel’s lead crept to 20-8 before Kreinbrook set Hozak for the final point of the 25-14 win.
Geibel improved to 15-0 with the win, while plucky California finished the season 10-6.
“We were on,” said Cal’s Urban Smith. “We had a couple momentum breakers and it wasn’t even their fault. They said we were serving out of order but we weren’t and they caught it, and to me we overcame that. We were a little nervous but other than that I’m proud of all of them. They had a great season. We had an on and off season, but any time we have a top team we come out and shine. I’m really proud of them.”
Watkins, on the other hand, wasn’t pleased that his top-seeded team took such a fight from Cal.
“Not to slight California,” he said, “but I know our girls, in their minds, they’re already thinking a match or two down the road. You can say it until you’re blue in the face: don’t look past an opponent, but inevitably they do.”
The stat sheet says Hawk (17) and Hawk (10) were the leading hitters for Geibel, while Kreinbrook had 30 assists, Renne had five blocks and Hozak had 25 digs. So, what impressed Watkins? Anyone?
“With Natalie and Chelsey, they’re the two best players in the WPIAL, hands down,” he said. “If anybody comes to scout us and they can’t pick that up in the first half of the first game, they’re wasting their time. So we’re going to live and die with them.”
But did anyone play above expectations?
“We didn’t play overly aggressive early on,” he said. “We have to stay aggressive, even if we make mistakes. That’s what I do like: If you want to win the WPIAL or states you’ve got to be aggressive. Be aggressive and lose or be aggressive and win, but whatever you do be aggressive.”
Geibel will play the Laurel-Avonworth winner early next week in the quarterfinals. The winner will advance to the WPIAL Class A semifinals and qualify for the PIAA Tournament.