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Alter volleyball topples unbeaten Wyoming

Match goes the distance, earning Knights a date with CJ for trip to state.

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer 11:42 PM Thursday, November 3, 2011

WILMINGTON — The Alter High School volleyball team is a perennial regional qualifier, but this time the bull’s-eye was on somebody else’s back.

Undefeated and the top-ranked Division II team in the state, the Cincinnati Wyoming Cowboys were the ones to beat.

The Knights were up to the challenge.

“They had everything to lose,” Alter senior Kristen Kaiser said of the Cowboys. “We had a lot of mental preparation and were really excited to play them.”

The Division II regional foes couldn’t have been more evenly matched as it was knotted at two games apiece in their semifinal match at Wilmington High School Thursday.

After a combined 191 points, the first team to 15 was moving on to the finals.

Wyoming had the early momentum, taking a quick 7-3 lead, but the Knights couldn’t be counted out.

Freshman Maddie Bazelak sparked the Alter comeback with a pair of kills and then the seniors took over as Penn State-bound Megan Courtney, who finished the night with 30 kills and 20 digs, rattled off five points and Kaiser scored the game winner to give the Knights a 25-23, 28-30, 17-25, 25-18, 15-11 win.

“It was gut instinct,” Kaiser said of her match-clinching shot. “But it was really a team effort. We all came together.”

The Knights fought to a 25-23 win in an opening game that saw 12 ties and eight lead changes. Midway through the match, however, after dropping two straight games, the Knights were struggling to play as a team.

“We felt like our communication had broken down and we were playing as individuals,” Alter coach Tina Jasinowski said. “Earlier this week, they had talked about what inspires them and they said they were inspired by one another so I told them to act like it.”

Alter responded with a crucial fourth-game win to give the Cowboys their only five-game match of the season.

Wyoming, 25-1, had only been pushed to a fourth game once all year while the young Alter Knights, with only three seniors on the floor, had played five five-game matches during the regular season.

“Yes, we’re young, but Alter volleyball is steeped in tradition,” Jasinowski said. “It’s always our goal to go to state. It was this year and it will be next year.”

Only one team stands in the way of the Knights’ trip to state and it’s a familiar foe — Chaminade Julienne.

The Eagles did it the hard way but they got it done as CJ dropped the first two games but rallied to an 18-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15, 15-7 win over Athens in other semifinal action.

Down two sets, Eagles coach Dennis Hale knew he had to make some changes.

“You could tell by the look on their faces, they were thinking ‘we’re done,’ ” Hale said. “But when you’re down two games it’s all or nothing.”

Hale brought in freshman Beth Stumpf at outside hitter and shifted outside hitter Anna Kroger to the middle.

It was a lineup the Eagles had used only one other time, but it worked.

The Eagles and Knights have faced off twice this season with Alter winning both matches, most recently in five games.

“We’re happy being here but we aren’t satisfied,” Hale said. “And we’ve got nothing to lose.”

The Girls Greater Cincinnati League rivals will face off in the Division II regional finals at 2 p.m. Saturday at Wilmington High School.

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