Young Alter team one win from state boys volleyball tourney

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer 11:56 PM Friday, May 21, 2010

KETTERING — Alter High School junior Keaton Pieper has been able to transform his devastation into determination this season.

The tragic deaths of Kacie and Tom Hausfeld hit the Alter junior volleyball player hard. The Springboro father and daughter were killed in a plane crash shortly after takeoff on April 1.

“It was heart breaking when I heard the news,” Pieper said. “Mrs. Hausfeld, Kacie’s mom, was my first volleyball coach, when I was in the sixth grade. Their whole family drew me to the sport and really inspired me.”

Like both Kacie and her older sister Ali, Pieper is a setter for the Knights. He broke the boys’ school career assist record this year and already owned the single-season assist mark.

But the Knights junior is more interested in team success than personal accolades. In a season he has dedicated to the Hausfelds, Pieper, who wears the initials T-K-H on his sleeve in their memory, wants to help lead the Knights to the state tournament.

The Knights are one win away, and they will face Chaminade Julienne today, May 22, in a regional final at Centerville High School. The winner advances to the Division II boys state volleyball tournament.

It has been a season of surprises for the Knights, whose 17-5 mark is their best record.

“You always want to be optimistic going into the season, but on paper, looking at this team, I thought being around .500 would be a struggle,” Alter coach Craig Erford said. “No one could have expected this.”

The Knights, 14-12 last season, graduated five seniors. Those seniors, several of whom were three-year starters, contributed 75 percent of the Alter offense. This year’s team, under first-year head coach Erford, starts five sophomores and has only two seniors and two juniors on the roster.

But the Knights’ youth has proved to be an ally, not an enemy.

“They play for each other and they have great team chemistry,” Erford said. “But I never thought they would step up this quickly.”

The young Knights won the GCL North for the third consecutive season and landed four players on the All-GCL North Team, including Player of the Year Pieper, who also was named West Region Player of the Year.

“I hate to look ahead but, wow, I can’t wait to see these guys as seniors,” Erford said.

Today’s schedule

Where: Centerville High School

Matchups: 10 a.m. (D-II): Alter (17-5) vs. Chaminade Julienne (9-12); Noon (D-I): Centerville (20-5) vs. Lakota East (17-5); 2 p.m. (D-I): Lakota West (21-2) vs. Beavercreek (19-6)

Awards: All-Region awards ceremony follows 2 p.m. match.

Admission: $8, $5 for students and seniors, free for children 8 and younger.

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It seems that Alter excels at about every sport but baseball. As an Alumni and a former Knight baseball player I still follow the Knights but I rarely see a baseball score in the paper. I did see they won the GCL North but exited the tournament on the first game. I don't understand how they can do so well in everything but baseball?

curious
8:54 PM, 5/23/2010

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