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11/6/2009
CAN YOU HANDLE IT?
Reprinted with permission from The News Dispatch
Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch
MICHIGAN CITY - "We're athletes, we can handle it. No problem."
Those were the words of Marquette senior basketball, baseball and soccer player Jack Zahrndt before five of the Blazers' top male athletes attempted to do what players from Class A No. 1 Barr-Reeve will attempt Saturday: Return one of Amber Cerrillos' jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, spirit-busting topspin serves.
Asked what their confidence level was on a scale of one to 10, junior Conner Lombard (baseball, soccer) said, "10s across the board!"
Joey Przybylinski was "100 percent confident."
Marquette senior Matthew Pomranke (basketball, soccer, baseball) said they were "just gonna try to do our best."
Of course, Marquette's team members were on the sidelines, heckling their male counterparts.
"I think she might make one of them cry," senior libero Brianna Gannon said.
Caroline Alexander had different expectations, adding, "I think she might make one of them bleed.
Cerrillos fired 20-plus serves at the five boys, and Gannon even joined in for about 10.
The result?
"We've gotta improve on our defensive chemistry," said Przybylinski, no longer at a 100 percent confidence level. "We just didn't execute."
Indeed. Instead of a typical volleyball formation, the boys opted for more of a country line-dancing setup.
Cerrillos and Gannon both were kind of enough to serve right at the unsuspecting fellas, rather than drop one in any number of open areas.
"I thought they'd run away from the ball," Cerrillos said afterward.
There was no running, but on Cerrillos first attempt, the ball rocketed toward the floor as the boys looked at each other.
Ace.
After a couple hit the net, Cerrillos shot one off the arms of Lombard, who shanked it well out of bounds.
Ace.
On the next attempt, the guys fell victim to the dramatic spin that often causes Marquette's opponents to scratch their heads. The ball appeared to be sailing long, but the curveball action dropped the spinning ball right over their heads and in bounds.
Ace.
On the sixth attempt, senior basketball and tennis player Mat Johnson finally made good contact. So good, in fact, that the ball rocketed toward the ceiling, ricocheting off beams and pipes.
Finally, on Cerrillos' 10th attempt, Przybylinski put one in play, but on the other side of the net. Hey, at least it landed in bounds.
"They did great," Cerrillos said with a sarcastic smile. "Not one pass was to the target."
Of course, watching their opponents struggle to pass their serve is nothing new to Cerrillos or Gannon.
Yet another reason why the five-time defending state champions are a favorite to win yet again this weekend in Muncie, Ind.
Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.
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