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PERKASIE – Souderton swept Pennridge 3-0 in an SOL match on Tuesday night (25-16, 25-23, 25-23), but there was nothing easy about the win.
In truth, there’s been nothing easy about most of the Indians’ wins this season, but they just keep on winning, upping their record to a perfect 5-0 in league play (6-0 overall).
“The key is just really staying focused and keeping our heads in the game – playing hard and not letting anything touch the floor,” Souderton senior Jess Coll said.
“We have played some good teams, and we have really had to play hard. When it’s a tight game and your team comes out on top, it’s a lot of fun.”
If that’s the case, the Indians must be having a lot of fun, and if it’s tight matches they like, the Indians got yet another one when they faced their neighboring rival on Tuesday night.
It was in game two that the Indians’ unwavering will to win was underscored.
The Rams, who led 5-2 early in the contest, rallied from an 18-16 deficit to go on top 22-17 – benefitting in no small part to four consecutive Souderton hitting errors.
It would have been easy for the Indians to write the game off, but that was never a consideration. A Coll kill was followed by a Jess Barr kill, and then Devon Sparks went to work, delivering a pair of kills sandwiched around a tip as the Indians reeled off five straight points to knot the score.
“We do really well with not putting our heads down,” Souderton’s Jen Parmer said. “We stay in it. It’s only five points. We get some good hits and good sets, and that’s what we did.”
An Indian miscue put the Rams on top 23-22, but the Rams immediately returned the favor, which knotted the score. After another Ram hitting error, Amy Brown delivered a service ace, putting an exclamation point on the Indians’ 25-23 come-from-behind win.
“We just like to make it exciting,” Parmer said with a laugh.
No one was laughing on the other side of the court.
“It’s been like that every game,” Pennridge’s Jen Moyer said. “It’s so frustrating. There’s nothing more we can do. We have to stay positive.
“We have to almost forget about it and think of the next game.”
Parmer and Coll led the Indians with nine kills each. Parmer also had two stuff blocks, five digs and one ace and Coll, eight digs. Sparks had seven kills and a team-high 10 digs to go along with two stuff blocks and two aces. Moyer led the Rams with seven kills and one block. Brittany O’Hara added four kills and one block. Eileen Applegate had a team-high 11 digs for the Rams, and Jillian Bracken had 10.
Souderton coach Brad Garrett was especially pleased with the play of Parmer and Jennie Mariani (two kills, three blocks) in the middle of the net.
“We have been working on the middle, trying to speed up our offense a little bit to keep the blocks honest,” Souderton coach Brad Garrett said. “Early in the season, most of our offensive production came from the outside.
“One of the reasons we’ve had a lot of success recently was because we had a more balanced offense. Jen Parmer and Jenny Mariani really did a fantastic job in the middle. When they get set, they make the most of their opportunities.”
Early in the match, the Indians opened up a 7-1 lead in game, but the Rams – behind the strong service game of Applegate – came back to make it a 7-6 game after an Applegate service winner. A strong service game, according coach Dave Childs, is just part of what makes Applegate such a valuable player.
“She’s been a rock all year,” the Rams’ coach said. “She’s made a lot out of a little offensively as far as the sets she’s getting. Defensively and serving, she’s just been a real strong player.”
The Indians led 12-9 when Sparks stepped to the service line and reeled off seven straight points – which included a pair of aces – to put the Indians on top 19-9.
“Devon is a good server, and she served tough,” Parmer said. “That’s one of the big things about our team – we have tough servers. Sometimes we’ll miss, but tonight we definitely served well.”
The Indians never looked back, winning it 25-16 on a Coll kill.
After eking out a win in game two, the Indians fell behind 5-4 after a Chelsea Price winner early in game three. The Indians went on top 6-5 after a Ram hitting error and opened up a 16-11 lead after a Pennridge hit sailed out of play, but the Rams refused to go down quietly.
A Souderton passing error made it a 17-15 game, and then Michele Pousley reeled off three straight points – a stretch that included back-to-back aces – to put the Rams on top 18-17. The Indians knotted the score on a Parmer kill.
“Sam (Terrell) is an amazing setter,” Parmer set. “We’re starting to work really well together.
“It also helps to have good passing, and tonight we had really good passing.”
The two teams were deadlocked 19-19, but a Ram hit into the net put the Indians on top. Another Parmer kill was followed by a Terrell service winner. The Indians led 23-19 after the Rams were called for a carry, but the Rams – sparked by a Brittany O’Hara block – rallied to knot the score. Coll answered with a kill as the Indians went on to earn the 25-23 win.
“I think we’re just in a rut,” Moyer said. “We get down on ourselves. We have to stay positive, and we need to pick each other and play together as a unit.
“Overall, we just have to get out of this rut, and I think we’ll be fine.”
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