By Adam Knoll
Sports Correspondents
After playing with more confidence late in the season, the Whitewater High School girls volleyball team strode into Delavan Oct. 21 to play in the first round of the WIAA tournament against the No. 2 seeded Comets.
Although the 2014 season did not necessarily live up to expectations there was still plenty of fight in the Lady Whippets, as evidenced by their play in the match.
Displaying what Whitewater head coach Kathy Bullis described as, “Heart, Fire and Passion,” Whitewater was able to claw out a 3-2 victory and stun the region by making it to the second round.
“The girls came in with a mission of playing the new three middle offense,” Bullis after the match. “We dominated at the net with blocking and a strong attack.”
Myariama Smith-Traore forced the issue at the net, leading the team with eight kills while Carmen Wyatt, as she has done all season, propped up the offense with 35 assists, while also scoring five crucial aces.
The Whippets delivered a convincing message of being the feisty underdog by taking the first set 25-21. Rattled, the Comets faltered a bit in the second set, before rallying and taking it by six, 25-19. The back-and-forth play continued as each team won similar 25-21 sets to knot the match at two apiece and force a fifth round. In the final set, Whitewater jumped out early, and staved off Delavan for a 15-9 victory.
“The defense played extremely well by getting on the outsides of the blockers arms and reading the Comet hitter’s arms,” Bullis said. “It sure is fun to watch our defense be able to dig the Comet hits, tips and roll shots that were able to get around the block.”
Emilie Kachel kept the Whippets in the thick of things several times, putting together 22 digs while Sarah Schumacher pitched in by delivering five key blocks for the defense.
In the second round of the WIAA tournament, last Thursday, Whitewater took on Big Foot. The Whippets made a run of it but ultimately fell to the Chiefs in a close, five-game match, 16-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-15 and 13-15.
