The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Attention to detail sought after loss
Matchups between powerhouse programs like Toledo St. Ursula and Gilmour aren’t decided by talent.
Lancers coach Danny Coughlin told his team if it wanted to beat its equally skilled visitors, the match’s result hinged on minutiae.
When St. Ursula, Division I’s No. 13-ranked team, began its two-hour drive back west, the Arrows left Gates Mills with a 3-0 victory over Gilmour.
Why the Lancers, ranked No. 8 in D-II, lost was clear to their coach.
“We did not do the little things well,” Coughlin said. “We have no sense of urgency to score points.”
St. Ursula overcame late deficits to win the first two games.
Gilmour led the first set, 23-20. The Arrows closed the game with a 6-1 run to take a 1-0 match lead.
St. Ursula blocked a shot and the Lancers set a shot wide to tie the score at 23. Kills by the Arrows’ Rachel Super and Hannah Best preceded another Gilmour shot out of bounds for a 26-24 St. Ursula win.
The Arrows paced much of the second game before Gilmour rallied for a 21-20 edge. Three kills from Super keyed a 5-2 spurt that secured a 25-23 win in the second game.
The Lancers led the first half of the third set. St. Ursula tied the game at 16, then capped the match with a 25-21 win in Game 3.
Arrows coach Sydney Antonio said how her team closes out sets has been a focus in practice. Antonio and her coaching staff simulate late-game situations where players must overcome 18-20 deficits.
The emphasis paid dividends. St. Ursula’s execution made the Arrows’ 135mile trip worthwhile.
“We accomplished exactly what we wanted,” Antonio said. “We wanted to come in and prove ourselves to some top five teams in the state.”
While St. Ursula thrived in critical sequences, the Lancers failed to execute at an equal level.
Instead of following balls to the boundary lines, Gilmour’s defenders let them pass under the perception they would sail out of bounds. Coughlin watched multiple points fall for the Arrows in such instances.
When the Lancers took shots at the net, their teammates didn’t collapse around them to guard against blocked shots. St. Ursula scored a handful of points on blocked Gilmour shots, which dropped below Lancers hitters without nearby defenders.
Gilmour’s offense didn’t take advantage of its own scoring chances enough. Coughlin didn’t see the necessary authority in the Lancers’ actions to complement their defensive effort, which tallied 60 digs against the Arrows.
“They gave us chances,” Coughlin said. “They gave us free balls to score points, they would give us a service error to score. We didn’t take advantage of it. We just kind of went through the motions, so to speak.”
The loss dropped the Lancers to 10-2. Gilmour lost its previous match on Sept. 14 at Independence.
Coughlin will give his players a few days off. The Lancers next play at Mentor’s NEO Power tournament on Sept. 23, which will feature a field loaded with state-ranked D-I and D-II competition. Until then, their coach looks for the lessons of the loss to St. Ursula to steep.
“We weren’t doing the little things,” Coughlin said. “St. Ursula’s such a great program, I made the comment it’s going to be the battle of the little things that wins the game today. They did significantly better than we did.”