Out & About: Shakopee/Eden Prairie

#3 posting 9.9.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

SHAKOPEE sabers 3, EDEN PRAIRIE eagles 1
(23-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-17)

2AAA is one of the toughest, if not the toughest sections in the state with four teams in the top 10 this week. Tonight's match was important, not only for the polls, but also for post season pairings. #2 Shakopee beat #9 Eden Prairie in a 2AAA match up tonight at EP. The game was delayed until 8:01 pm (official time) because of the Minnesota primary election. Ashley Wittman had another huge night with 40 points in the win for Shakopee--- 39 were kills.

Shakopee had to overcome a first game loss to get the win. The Sabers trailed 12-10 before erupting on a 10-2 run to lead 20-14. Wittman was already piling up the kills with 10 of the Shako points already. EP stopped a four point run with a time out. With the rotations, Wittman found her self the next server. With The cannon in the back row, Shakopee struggled to find their rhythm. They only scored two more points the rest of the way, while EP finished with a 9-1 run. Shakopee tried to stop the onslaught with a time out when they led 22-21. They did get a side out, but couldn't close the deal with Wittman in the back row.

In the second game the Sabers didn't have the same issues. The issue in this game was the lack of a FBSO game for EP. Shakopee had eight service chances and scored off six of them. Of those six they scored more than two points on four (the last server only had one point needed for 24 for the Sabers.) This was the biggest margin win for Shakopee and strangely enough the only game where Wittman had five kills.

The pendulum switched back to the Eagles. They had a 9-4 advantage after a 8-1 run. Katie Froehle had four kills in the streak. Once again Wittman had moved to the back row. EP scored four points on that opportunity. Shakopee did start a 7-2 run to take a 13-11 lead. EP did tie it at 13. Shakopee stretched the lead out to 19-15. EP got some momentum back, again when Wittman moved to the back line. The Eagles tied the game up at 20. The key break point in the match came on the next ball. EP pushed the ball into the net for a hard fought point, but that slight opportunity was all the Sabers needed. Wittman soon moved back to the front and she was important in getting quality points in the end.

Shakopee used the momentum to build a 5-0 lead to start the fourth game. A missed serve returned the ball back to EP. They put three more points on the board to trail 5-4. But Wittman was a whirlwind racking up six of the next eight Shakopee points. EP took a time out at 13-6 and regained their composure. Two EP runs later the contest was tied at 16. Shakopee did have two missed serves in the EP comeback. As you may have guessed the EP run started with Wittman in the back row. It continued for four more points as she moved into the front. The game was knotted up at 16 when a Wittman kill returned the ball to Shakopee. After that Shako finished with a 9-1 run with Wittman hammering home 7 kills.

You can see the entire Shakopee vs Eden Prairie photo gallery at kevinanderson.photostockplus.com.

rotation, player, (year) position, aces-blocks-kills---totals
SHAKOPEE
1. Elizabeth Benusa (2010) OH 3-0-6---9
2. Mollie Geske (2010) L 0-0-0----0
2fr: Jean Theis (2010) MH 0-4-6---10
3. Amelia Yager (2010) S 0-0-0---0
3fr: Bri Duff (2009) RH 0-0.5-1---1.5
4. Ashley Wittman (2010) 0-1-39----40
5. Claire Sames (2012) MH 0-1-2----3
6. Megan Westlund (2011) S 0-0-0----0
6fr: Mariah Monnens (2011) rh 0-1.5-2---3.5
totals: 3-8-56---67 points, 30 points on EP errors

EDEN PRAIRIE
1. Claire Willeck (2011) MB 0-2-1----3
2. Nicole Garbowicz (2009) DS 0-0-0---0
2fr: Kathleen Krause (2009) RS 0-0-2----2
3. Natalie Carlson (2011) OH 2-0-6---8
3. Jamie Nichols (2010) OH 0-0-0---0
3br: Jackee Cairncross (2009) DS 0-0-0---0
4. Taylor Simpson (2010) MB 0-0-5---5
5. Hayley Buchanan (2009) S 1-0-0----1
6. Katie Froehle (2010) OH 1-1-12---14
totals: 4-3-26----33 points, 44 points on Shakopee errors

TRENCH PLAYER
Ashley Wittman a top 40 night

BY THE NUMBERS
team, fbso/fbso attempts; fbso %; points, % earned; % allowed
Shakopee 24/40--.600; 98; .684; .571
Eden Prairie 16/40---.400; 77; .429; .306
Runs 3+: Shakopee 13, EP 12
Longest string: Shakopee 6; EP 5
Missed Serves: Shakopee 9, EP 4
Time Out %: EP 4/7--.571; Shakopee 1/4--.250

ROTATIONS
SHAKOPEE
1. Benusa 26-18 .591
2. Geske 28-9 .757
3. Yager 17-9 .654
4. Wittman 11-19 .367
5. Sames 10-13 .435
6. Westlund 6-9 .400
totals: 98-77 .560
When Wittman is in the front row Shakopee scored 77 points. When she is in the back row they scored 27.

EDEN PRAIRIE
1. Willeck 11-27 .289
2. Garbowicz 16-24 .400
3. Carlson 10-17 .370
4. Simpson 14-13 .519
5. Buchanan 18-7 .720
6. Froehle 8-10 .444
totals: 77-98 .440

RACE TO:
Game: 5 10 15 20 25
game 1 S E S S E
game 2 S S S S S
game 3 E E S S S
game 4 S S S S S

BIGGEST LEAD
Team: 1 2 3 4
Shakopee 6 12 4 8
Eden Prairie 2 0 5 0

Next up: tomorrow