Girls dominate first two sets, but fall in three
to Centennial
By Joe Pritchett
Chatham Editor
Coming in, this really wasn't even supposed to be a contest as much as a coronation of the
expected Sectional volleyball champions.
But that's why they play the games. The Titans (21-17) had Champaign Centennial (34-6) on the
ropes, big-time, though in the end, the heavily-favored Chargers escaped with a 26-24, 24-26, 25-20
over Glenwood last Thursday night to claim the Class 3A Lincoln Sectional title.
Centennial, which defeated Glenwood 25-14, 25-18 earlier this season and also knocked the Titans
out of the postseason last year, fell to Breese Mater Dei 25-19, 25-15 at the Chatham Super-Sectional
Saturday night.
The Titans, playing some of the best volleyball the program has ever seen, shot out to a 14-6 lead in
the first game and held leads of 18-12 and 20-15 before things tightened up considerably. The first set
ended on an interference call at the net on Glenwood's Tori Falter, with coach Brittany Bisch explaining
that the Centennial setter had the right to set the ball without the opposite side blocking it.
"It was a great match," an emotional Bisch said afterwards. "Centennial is a great team. We proved
we could play with them. I'm very proud of our girls, and they were playing their best volleyball at the
end of the year. They were so close to having one more game."
Contributions for Glen-wood came from all over the court, with Falter finishing with 15 kills, seven
assists, five blocks and two service points. Meaghan Fischer added five kills and one service point,
and freshman Taylor Copp had four kills and two service points.
Jenna Taft had nine service points, while Abby Cress had seven points and 17 assists. Shea
Elmore had four blocks and one kill, and twin sisters Ali and Ashley McGrath each had one kill for
Glenwood.
"Everybody knew what was at stake tonight," Bisch added. "They all wanted it, and that was the big
difference from the first match against Centennial. We were able to be in control of this match, but we
lost it in that last set and that was the difference."
•In the first set, Falter had four early kills and two service points, while Elmore added two kills
around two Cress points to put the Titans up 14-6. The Chargers' Cori Harris, armed with a vicious, left-
hand jump serve that dove over the net, helped close the gap to 14-10 before Taft served a couple of
points, with Falter getting a block and Fischer a kill.
Fischer later added two more kills, putting Glenwood up 20-15, and a Copp sideout kill kept the
Titans ahead at 21-17. But a sideout and three straight points from libero Kailyn Dennemann tied the
score at 21-21. A Falter kill put Glenwood up 23-22, but two straight kills from Morgan Leach gave the
Chargers a 24-23 advantage.
Falter tied things up with a sideout kill, but a kill by setter Melanie Moore set up the game-winning
point, where Falter was called for interference.
"It was so intense," Bisch stated. "It's a testament to Centennial and their program. They stayed
with it to the very end."
•Elmore helped put the Titans up 5-1 in the second set with four straight points, and a three-point
surge by Cress, with kills from Ashley McGrath and Elmore, put Glenwood up 12-7. The Titans led 19-
12 and 22-15 before things, unravelled, again.
Following a sideout kill from Kelly Wachtel, Dennemann went on a five-point run to cut the lead to 22-
21. Two straight aces from Harris put Centennial up 24-23, leaving the Titans staring at match point
against the Chargers' top server.
But the script writer forgot to tell the Titans what was supposed to happen, as Leach's kill attempt
was long, setting up Taft to serve out the set, Falter providing both kills for the 26-24 GHS victory.
•Centennial took control of the deciding set, going up 11-7 after another Dennemann service run,
but the Titans clawed back behind Taft, whose five-point run put Glenwood up 15-12.
A Falter kill and service point put GHS up 18-17, but the Titans were outscored 8-2 the rest of the
way, as Moore had a four-point run, with Wachtel providing a block and kill, to go up 22-18. Ali
McGrath's sideout kill cut the deficit to 23-20, but Harris closed out the match with two kills for the
Chargers.
"Our girls showed a lot of guts," Bisch added. "They're very tough mentally and physically, and they
showed what they are made of tonight."
Seniors for Glenwood include Fischer, Cress, Taft, Ali McGrath, Ashley McGrath, Chelsea Payne and
Alexa Frank. The Titans claimed their fourth straight regional title this season and tied for second in the
CS8.
to Centennial
By Joe Pritchett
Chatham Editor
Coming in, this really wasn't even supposed to be a contest as much as a coronation of the
expected Sectional volleyball champions.
But that's why they play the games. The Titans (21-17) had Champaign Centennial (34-6) on the
ropes, big-time, though in the end, the heavily-favored Chargers escaped with a 26-24, 24-26, 25-20
over Glenwood last Thursday night to claim the Class 3A Lincoln Sectional title.
Centennial, which defeated Glenwood 25-14, 25-18 earlier this season and also knocked the Titans
out of the postseason last year, fell to Breese Mater Dei 25-19, 25-15 at the Chatham Super-Sectional
Saturday night.
The Titans, playing some of the best volleyball the program has ever seen, shot out to a 14-6 lead in
the first game and held leads of 18-12 and 20-15 before things tightened up considerably. The first set
ended on an interference call at the net on Glenwood's Tori Falter, with coach Brittany Bisch explaining
that the Centennial setter had the right to set the ball without the opposite side blocking it.
"It was a great match," an emotional Bisch said afterwards. "Centennial is a great team. We proved
we could play with them. I'm very proud of our girls, and they were playing their best volleyball at the
end of the year. They were so close to having one more game."
Contributions for Glen-wood came from all over the court, with Falter finishing with 15 kills, seven
assists, five blocks and two service points. Meaghan Fischer added five kills and one service point,
and freshman Taylor Copp had four kills and two service points.
Jenna Taft had nine service points, while Abby Cress had seven points and 17 assists. Shea
Elmore had four blocks and one kill, and twin sisters Ali and Ashley McGrath each had one kill for
Glenwood.
"Everybody knew what was at stake tonight," Bisch added. "They all wanted it, and that was the big
difference from the first match against Centennial. We were able to be in control of this match, but we
lost it in that last set and that was the difference."
•In the first set, Falter had four early kills and two service points, while Elmore added two kills
around two Cress points to put the Titans up 14-6. The Chargers' Cori Harris, armed with a vicious, left-
hand jump serve that dove over the net, helped close the gap to 14-10 before Taft served a couple of
points, with Falter getting a block and Fischer a kill.
Fischer later added two more kills, putting Glenwood up 20-15, and a Copp sideout kill kept the
Titans ahead at 21-17. But a sideout and three straight points from libero Kailyn Dennemann tied the
score at 21-21. A Falter kill put Glenwood up 23-22, but two straight kills from Morgan Leach gave the
Chargers a 24-23 advantage.
Falter tied things up with a sideout kill, but a kill by setter Melanie Moore set up the game-winning
point, where Falter was called for interference.
"It was so intense," Bisch stated. "It's a testament to Centennial and their program. They stayed
with it to the very end."
•Elmore helped put the Titans up 5-1 in the second set with four straight points, and a three-point
surge by Cress, with kills from Ashley McGrath and Elmore, put Glenwood up 12-7. The Titans led 19-
12 and 22-15 before things, unravelled, again.
Following a sideout kill from Kelly Wachtel, Dennemann went on a five-point run to cut the lead to 22-
21. Two straight aces from Harris put Centennial up 24-23, leaving the Titans staring at match point
against the Chargers' top server.
But the script writer forgot to tell the Titans what was supposed to happen, as Leach's kill attempt
was long, setting up Taft to serve out the set, Falter providing both kills for the 26-24 GHS victory.
•Centennial took control of the deciding set, going up 11-7 after another Dennemann service run,
but the Titans clawed back behind Taft, whose five-point run put Glenwood up 15-12.
A Falter kill and service point put GHS up 18-17, but the Titans were outscored 8-2 the rest of the
way, as Moore had a four-point run, with Wachtel providing a block and kill, to go up 22-18. Ali
McGrath's sideout kill cut the deficit to 23-20, but Harris closed out the match with two kills for the
Chargers.
"Our girls showed a lot of guts," Bisch added. "They're very tough mentally and physically, and they
showed what they are made of tonight."
Seniors for Glenwood include Fischer, Cress, Taft, Ali McGrath, Ashley McGrath, Chelsea Payne and
Alexa Frank. The Titans claimed their fourth straight regional title this season and tied for second in the
CS8.
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: Nov. 12, 2009
