Nicolet state-bound in girls volleyball

By STEVEN L. TIETZ

Posted: Nov. 3, 2009 |(0) Comments

Nicolet — Even after it had gained an astonishing two games to none lead on second-ranked in state Watertown in the WIAA sectional final at Waukesha West on Saturday night, the Nicolet girls volleyball team was prepared to go the extra mile.

And they needed to, as the state tournament perennials the Goslings turned what was going to be an amazing but rather quick upset into an astonishing, absorbing and rather dramatic upset as the Knights earned their first WIAA State Tournament berth in 28 years in a 25-21, 25-18, 21-25, 22-25, 17-15 marathon.

"Our assistant coach (Kalin von Treba) has us do a lot of conditioning," said senior four-year setter Rachel Morello, who had 49 assists on the night. "If we get to five games like we did tonight, one of the best matches we've ever played in, we know we can push on through."

Morello had the last assist on the night, setting up fellow four-year starter Sam Lautmann on the left side, and the relatively small outside hitter (5-7) delivered with a kill off the top of the Goslings block that sent the Knights into bouncing, boisterous, spontaneous joy.

"We knew we just couldn't let things end like this," Lautmann said. "It's not about the final play. It's about everything that went into it."

The victory sent the Knights into a 4:30 p.m. WIAA state quarterfinal match with top-ranked powerhouse Muskego on today at the Resch Center in Green Bay.

Nicolet's state berth was the culmination of a lot of things like Lautmann alluded to, including a 14-year building process by Knights coach Dann Jacobson. It's a run that's included three straight WIAA regional titles and the last two North Shore Conference championships.

"Every kid who played at Nicolet is a part of this," Jacobson said. "For our program, this is just incredible. For all that we've been through. So much work, by so many people. It's about our seniors and about everyone who was here tonight supporting us.

"This is about working hard, sacrificing and good, good kids finding a way and winning."

Finding a way, indeed. The Knights had stunned Watertown in the first two games, taking the usual vocal Goslings fans out of the match in the cavernous West Fieldhouse. You could even hear a couple of them say "We're one of the top two teams in the state, this can't happen to us!"

And it almost didn't, as the senior-dominated Goslings (nine all told) started to find all-state outside hitter Erienne Lauersdorf as they erased a 14-8 deficit in the third game and an 11-6 margin in the fourth game.

"I just knew that we weren't going to beat the second-ranked team in the state in three games, that just wasn't going to happen," said Jacobson. "They're just so, so good."

But not enough to out-endure the well-conditioned Knights in game five.

"It's no real secret," said, von Treba, of the conditioning techniques. "We do a lot of stairs and short endurance training and we mix that with agility and quickness drills. We also hit the weight room at least three or four nights a week.

"But the only thing that makes it work is that if the kids believe in it with it all their hearts. If they didn't, it wouldn't work."

The kids did believe and it did work. Nicolet was down 7-6 in that final game, but then ran off four straight points to take the lead. It was still 13-9 when the Goslings ran off three straight points to make it 13-12, with Lauersdorf getting two of those kills.

A short time later, it was tied at 14-all.

All told, Nicolet would have three match points, but after the Goslings fought off two of them, sophomore middle hitter Krystalyn Goode smacked one down through the middle and then off a scramble, Morello gave Lautmann the decisive set.

Morello's sophomore sister, Melissa, matched Lauersdorf shot-for-shot with 31 kills as Goode had six blocks.

The four seniors on the group, Rachel Morello, Lautmann, Nikki Flemming and Katelyn Richards saw this as the breakthrough the program was looking for.

"Now it's almost like a new beginning," said Flemming, "and we're not done yet. We don't want to just get up there (to state) and stop in the quarterfinals."

Because of one simple reason, Jacobson said.

"This is a group that is truly the sum of its parts," he said. "I know Melissa Morello stands out, but everyone contributes here, from those who play a little, to those who play a lot. They are a team and they took their best shot tonight."