By Steve Fields
COVINGTON — Getting big hits, digs and passes from seven different players, the Rockville Rox moved into the championship game of the Class A high school volleyball sectional at Covington on Saturday morning.
Rockville (25-4), the defending sectional champ, topped Riverton Parke 3-1 and will play Attica (4-23) in the championship game Saturday night.
Rockville, the defending sectional champion, topped Riverton Parke 25-12, 23-25, 26-24 and 25-10 to advance. Riverton Parke finished the season 17-13.
It was the third time Rockville and Riverton Parke played this season. “We spent [Friday] practicing hitting to where we thought the openings would be and on serve receive because [Riverton Parke] had good servers,” Rockville coach Jennifer Pakiz said.
While Beth Mahurin led Rockville with 22 kills, the net play of Ashley Stevens and Raeann Sutherlin were big keys. When Mahurin rotated to the back row, it was Stevens and Sutherlin who combined for 13 kills. Eldridge passed out 34 assists to the hitters.
“[Rockville] has got a good team. They are more than just Beth [Mahurin],” Riverton Parke coach John Memmer said.
Riverton Parke served 12 aces, six coming from Elizabeth Dickey. The Panthers also got a strong net game from Sara Dickey, who had six kills and two blocks. Ketelynn Rewers passed out 16 assists.
“I’m really proud of my team. It was a close, tight game that could have gone either way,” Memmer said.
After splitting the first two games, the two teams locked into a point-for-point battle in game three. The score was tied 15-15 when Riverton Parke went ahead 21-16 with a Sara Dickey kill and the aid of two Rockville service faults.
Rockville scored the next five points, tying the game 21-21, then pulling out the 26-24 when on a block and kill by Mahurin and a Riverton Parke hitting error.
“I don’t think we’ve ever come back from that big a deficit,” Pakiz said.
Rockville’s victory rally too the gas out of Riverton Parke. The Rox dominated game four to advance, 25-10.
“When you lose a tight game like that and when you have a young team, it can effect them,” Memmer said.
North Vermillion beat Attica during the regular season, but couldn’t continue that string in the tournament.
North Vermillion scored the first five points of the match, going ahead 5-0, but rarely led again, as Attica won 25-17, 25-19, 25-22.
Attica tied game one 7-7 and pulled away, as North Vermillion struggled with its offense. Attica jumped out to a 6-2 lead in game two and never looked back.
North Vermillion tried to extend its season in game three. The score was tied at 10 on a Jessica Astin service ace and 12 on a Attica error. The Red Ramblers took the lead for good at 13-12 and led 19-13 when the Falcons made the last rally of the season.
The Falcons closed to within a point, 21-20, but could not get the tying hit.
Riverton Parke 12 25 24 10
Rockville 25 23 26 25
Highlights — For Riverton Parke, Sara Dickey had six kills and two blocks; Ketelynn Rewers passed out 16 assists, served four aces and made two kills; Sheldan Falls had five kills, an ace and 20 digs; and Haley Chambers had 30 digs, two kills and one ace. For Rockville, Beth Mahurin finished with 22 kills, made four blocks and served four aces; Raeann Sutherlin had seven kills, two aces and seven digs; Ashley Stevens and Emily Hardman made six kills each; Courtney Eldridge passed out 34 assists and served four aces and Lindsey Greene came up with 23 digs.
Attica 25 25 25
North Vermillion 17 19 22
Highlights — For North Vermillion, Kylee West had four kills and Darby Martin three kills and 11 digs; Jessica Astin had 10 digs. For Attica, Mariah Davis had seven kills and Jessica Holtkamp had six kills and served five aces.
Next — Rockville (25-4) played Attica (4-23) in the sectional championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday. Riverton Parke finished the season 17-13 and North Vermillion closed at 7-18.
