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11/8/2009
Junior Clancy Shines
Reprinted with permission from The News Dispatch
Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch
MUNCIE, Ind. - When it became clear the heralded matchup between Barr-Reeve's Hillary Fox and Marquette's Ashley Edmond might become a stalemate, it was the Blazers' "other" outside hitter that got an opportunity to shine.
Junior Katie Clancy shined brighter than perhaps any of Marquette's numerous stars in Saturday's crucial semifinal match.
"She's the surprise that really shouldn't be," Campbell said. "She's been doing that all year. It's not a mistake she's been a part of this team for three years."
Fox, the Vikings' dominant 6-foot-1 senior middle hitter, was locked in a furious battle with Edmond. Both players were in the same rotations, meeting often in the front row.
Neither team was able to pull away during those rotations, so it was up to each team's supporting cast.
That's where the Blazers, with all their weapons, were able to do their best work.
"With us being able to go outside (during those rotations)," Campbell said, "it really made it difficult for them to block us."
Clancy finished with 15 kills, and seemingly each one came at a crucial juncture. She was also dominant in the back row and service line, giving the Blazers hope for a return state trip next year even with the massive losses to graduation.
"I was just going up and hitting as hard as I could," Clancy said.
And Barr-Reeve was powerless to stop it.
It was fitting, then, when Game 4 was still more or less up for grabs that Clancy had three kills in the Blazers' final four points - including the match clincher - to catapult her team to the state championship match.
"She's just been so much more aggressive and positive in her attacking ability," Campbell said.
Clancy was also solid in the title clincher, registering 11 kills to go with seven digs and two aces.
Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.
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