The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Brookside gives coach 100th win
Brookside coach Jenn Larrick’s 100th win was definitely memorable, but by no means was it easy.
After a strong start in the first couple sets, host Brookside buckled down for a tight battle, eventually overcoming a shaky third set to defeat Keystone, 3-1, in a Patriot Athletic Conference matchup Sept. 11.
After having a front row seat to the close call in all four sets, Larrick couldn’t have been more proud of her girls’ effort for the hard-fought conference victory.
“It’s something I hope all my teams have all the time that they never step down from an opponent,” Larrick said. “That’s all I have been trying to build into these (girls), you know, not having these older leaders. The fact that they want to take leadership and take ownership during those points is amazing.”
Brookside found itself in a back-and-forth affair, but used a pair of 5-0 runs in the opening set to distance themselves from the Wildcats (5-3, 4-2 PAC).
The spark of the set was Cardinals junior Lauren Sheehan, who came away with a handful of timely kills throughout the first, second and fourth sets.
Sheehan talked about the resilience of a team still learning to play together.
“Yeah, well we kind of learned how to fight together,” Sheehan said. “Even with missing pieces of our team, and even during practice we just practice with a bunch of different lineups, which helps us fight back.”
She finished with 16 kills and two aces.
Led by a strong showing from Brienne Guyeska, Keystone battled back in the second set, but eventually relinquished a 1411 lead midway. The Cardinals (3-5, 3-4 PAC) waited patiently, staying on Keystone’s heels until they made their move to try to capture the set.
It was another combination effort from Sheehan and standout freshman Leah Musall.
With her student section chanting, “She’s a freshman,” Musall’s presence was felt all around the court as she tallied five kills, a block and 46 assists.
The Cardinals went on to orchestrate a 6-0 run as they took a 17-14 lead and captured the second set, 25-20.
Keystone jumped out to a 5-2 lead and held serve throughout a riveting contest. After a tough two sets, including getting popped in the mouth with the ball, the Wildcats’ Taylor Whitney emerged with a strong showing as she helped Keystone hold off a late charge, clinching the third set, 25-21.
Whitney finished with eight kills, a block and an assist.
With new life breathed into their play, Keystone looked dominant in the opening minutes of the fourth set as they bolted out to an 8-2 lead.
Momentum had clearly swung.
“The third set, we started getting a little nervous, which made us lose,” Sheehan said. “The fourth set we just talked and needed more energy and to pick each other up.”
That energy came fast and furious as Sheehan and Musall played off each other with the Cardinals trailing, 1510. The pair combined for four assist-to-kills in the next few minutes, sparking an 11-1 Brookside run.
The Cardinals had quickly put themselves back in position to clinch the match as they led, 2116.
Sheehan knew her team always had a chance to right their wrongs from the last set.
“I know we can fight together, because we are all really close, and that helps us on the court,” she said.
The swing of momentum was good at the moment, but Larrick wished the team hadn’t given the Wildcats any breathing room.
“We have had a lot of inconsistences this year,” Larrick said. “Different lineups, different rotations I have thrown at them, and we only lost three players from last year, but they are my setters and my liberos. People don’t understand how big of positions those are. So trying to figure us out is a big thing.”
Up, 21-16, Brookside took back control for good as they settled in nicely with a pair of spikes from Sheehan, eventually sealing Larrick’s special night, with just a bit of drama.