11/9/2008
OCHO, CINCO
Blazers win fifth straight Class A title, eighth in 10 years
Reprinted with permission from The News Dispatch

Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch

MUNCIE, Ind. - Marquette's volleyball team was celebrating as though it has just won the state championship.

For all intents and purposes, the Blazers had done just that, though one game remained in Saturday's Class A state championship match against Barr-Reeve.

But after the Blazers gutted out a Game 2 victory, seemingly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, Game 3 was academic. In the end, Marquette continued its reign in Class A, winning 25-19, 29-27, 25-16 for its fifth consecutive state championship and eighth in 10 years. The Blazers have been in 10 consecutive title matches.

"(Game 2) was as exciting as it's ever been for us," Marquette coach Troy Campbell said. "It's great to see us respond in that manner. It shows the character of the team."

Marquette had taken a 1-0 lead in the match against Barr-Reeve, which beat Lafayette Central Catholic (25-18, 25-22, 25-22) in Saturday's other semifinal at Ball State University's Worthen Arena.

But even in the Game 1 loss, the Vikings (36-3) proved they'd be able to play alongside the Blazers (36-4), and Game 2 provided them the opportunity to put the Blazers' streak in jeopardy.

Barr-Reeve raced out to a 6-2 lead early and actually held on to that advantage most of the way, mostly behind dominating junior middle hitter Hillary Fox, who had seven kills in the game.

Finally, with his team down 21-17, Campbell called his first timeout of the entire state tournament, sectional and regional included.

"Usually I'm telling them to focus on execution in these pressure situations," said Campbell, who remained calm even with his team trailing. "We've been put in that situation many times in the regular season."

The Blazers immediately got a sideout and sent little-used junior defensive specialist Sarah Lutz to the service line. Lutz. The unlikely hero put the Blazers on a four-point streak and even recorded an ace that gave her team a 22-21 lead.

The teams traded points until Fox's sixth kill of the game gave her team a 25-24 lead, but Marquette quickly tied it.

Ashley Edmond had a kill, giving Marquette a chance to win the game, but Brianna Gannon's jump serve was no good, again tying the game.

Then, with the score tied 26-26, Edmond made the play of the day, and maybe even the play of her thus far stellar three-year career.

Barr-Reeve ran a standard play which results in Fox getting a chance to hammer the ball on a slide play in the middle of the net. The play had worked time and time again, but not this time.

Edmond and Marissa Disbrow perfectly timed their jumps and Edmond recorded the block-kill, sending the Blazers and their large traveling fan base into hysterics.

"I think that was my favorite play of the whole game," Edmond said. "(Fox) is a really good player, one of the best hitters I've seen. I just wanted to show I can step up to that level."

Fox got a kill on the next point, but the block seemed to propel the Blazers, who got a point on a Barr-Reeve violation before Amber Cerrillos finished the game out with a devastating serve for an ace, starting a raucous, albeit brief, celebration in the middle of the court.

After all, the Blazers still had some work to do.

"It really was exhilarating," Marquette senior libero Jenna Fumo said, noting the game's intensity compared to the 2006 title match against Loogootee. Marquette trailed by two points in an elimination game before coming back to win. "It reminded me of my sophomore year. That's what I was thinking the whole time."

As is often the case after such an emotional game, Barr-Reeve appeared to be emotionally spent. Marquette won the first three points of Game 3 on hitting errors from its opponent and the Blazers never led by less than two points the rest of the way. A kill from Edmond, her 14th of the match, officially started the celebration.

Marquette also accomplished something it had done only once before: Run through the entire postseason without losing a game, also achieved by the 2002 squad.

"Troy said that we can never be satisfied," Gannon said. "We need to always want something more. We accomplished this, so we're excited to set another goal next year."

Marquette loses five seniors in Disbrow, Danielle Easton, Fumo, Emily Cogswell and Janie Welsh. Disbrow and Fumo are the only starters.

"Next year (my class) will all be seniors," Gannon said. "Hopefully we'll play better than we ever have before."

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.