By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The Big Foot volleyball team found itself in an unusual position in its Division 2 regional final matchup Saturday night with Lakeside Lutheran.
Big Foot actually dropped a set in the match – a rare occurrence this season – but the Chiefs had more than enough firepower to live to fight another day.
The Chiefs won the first set with ease, 25-12, but dropped the second 25-23. Big Foot bounced back with wins of 25-17, 25-20 in the last two sets to secure the regional title and improve to 42-3 overall.
Big Foot traveled to Clinton Thursday night to face Edgewood in one sectional semifinal. The winner advanced to the sectional final against either River Valley or Richland Center Saturday night at McFarland with a berth in next weekend’s WIAA State Tournament on the line.
Even with the one loss to Lakeside, Big Foot coach Jen Stelling said her team may have played its best match of the year.
“The girls played really well,” she said. “Lakeside definitely was under-seeded. They are playing really good volleyball right now.
“We were intense in game one. We had a little bit of a letdown in game two, but pretty much dominated games three and four. We were never behind and had to work to get ahead.”
Having to overcome a struggle or two at this time of the year isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Stelling said, as it prepares her team to face the tougher competition that lies ahead.
“It’s exactly what happened to us last year,” she said. “We breezed through everything 3-0, got to state and didn’t know how to play a fourth game. We got beat because we were tired.
“It’s not a bad thing. Edgewood is going to be really tough and definitely be a challenge for us Thursday.”
Sydney Racky had a huge night statistically for the Chiefs, as she collected 25 kills and 11 digs.
“(She) had the match of her career,” Stelling said. “She played on Saturday how I know she can play all the time. It was great to see. Through four sets, she was dominant.”
Other leaders included Amy Schryver with 16 kills and 20 digs; Mackenzie Long with five aces and 13 digs; Katarina Rotta with four aces, 40 assists and 10 digs; and Maggie Kivlin with three aces and nine digs.
The win Saturday came on the heels of a three-set sweep, 25-21, 25-15, 25-11, over Monroe in the regional semifinal two days earlier.
Statistical leaders for Big Foot included Racky with 11 kills and eight digs; Schryver with eight kills and 15 digs; Rotta with seven kills, three blocks, seven digs and 26 assists; Kivlin with five aces; and Long with three aces and seven digs.
Big Foot’s attention now turns to this weekend and its shot at a second straight state tournament berth.
Stelling knows it won’t be easy – but she’s also confident that her team has as good a chance as any of the four remaining in the sectional.
“You can never relax in this situation, but I’ll feel better when we get a one- or two-game lead on Thursday,” she said. “If we get that 2-1 lead, I’m confident we’ll be able to push through.
“If we play the way we did (last) Saturday, I don’t think there’s many teams that can play with us.”
Chiefs roll in opener
Big Foot made quick work of Beloit Turner Oct. 16 in the regional opener with a 25-11, 25-13, 25-5 victory.
Individual leaders included Schryver with eight digs, two aces, two blocks and 15 kills; Racky with 12 kills; Rotta with 27 assists and three aces; Long with two aces and 16 digs; and Kristin Glade with two aces.
