No ‘fraidy cats: Mount Vernon clinches the Wamac East volleyball title

MARION — It’s part of the game.

You hit the ball, and sometimes it’s going to get blocked. No matter how tall you are or how hard you hit.

The moral of the story is to adjust and just keep swinging.

“Marion has a great block. I’m jealous of it,” Mount Vernon volleyball coach Maggie Willems said. “But you can’t start tipping all of the time. You can’t be a bunch of ‘fraidy cats. You’ve got to keep after it.”

The Mustangs kept after it.

Class 3A second-ranked Mount Vernon regained its mojo after a third-set lull, topping 4A No. 8 Marion in four sets (25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 25-15) and claiming sole possession of the Wamac Conference East Division championship Tuesday night at Marion High School.

The Mustangs (25-2 overall) got through the rugged Wamac East without a scratch at 5-0.

“I really like where we’re at,” junior Paige Schurbon said. “Our energy level could be more consistent.

“Our bench really plays into it. When our energy level is up ... if somebody gets excited, it impacts everybody on the team.

“It’s like a domino effect.”

The dominoes fell freely through the first two sets. An 8-1 run in the opening game staked the Mustangs to an early 10-3 lead, then a 10-2 spree late in Game 2 enabled them to erase a 17-14 deficit.

  Buy Photo

Maybe a letdown was inevitable.

“To play at a high level for an extended period of time is hard,” Willems said.

Marion (21-9, 3-2) blocked effectively all match, then everything else fell into place in Game 3. Carlee Webber strung together two blocks and a kill in a six-point run that put the Wolves in front, 12-6, then Michaela Goad rose to the forefront at the end of the set.

“Webber is super-athletic, and she was really good tonight,” Marion Coach Roxanne Paulsen said. “But we gave up too many runs, and a lot of them were due to our errors.”

Mount Vernon jumped out front 8-1, 11-2 and 19-4 in the fourth set.

A junior and a Louisville commit, Chloe Meester led Mount Vernon with 21 kills. Schurbon and Cali Whitaker, a pair of quality secondary options out of the middle, combined for 15.

“It depends on where the pass is at,” Schurbon said. “Our middles’ efficiency is pretty high.”

Goad matched Meester’s 21 kills, Webber posted nine kills and six blocks.

  Buy Photo

Mount Vernon 3, Marion 1

(25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 25-15)

At Marion

Serving: Mount Vernon 79-89 (.888), Marion 75-81 (.926)

Aces: Mount Vernon 8 (Eryn Jackson 3), Marion 6 (Sophia Paulsen, Lexi Pierce 2)

Kills: Mount Vernon 50 (Chloe Meester 21), Marion 43 (Michaela Goad 21)

Assists: Mount Vernon 44 (Sydney Huber 40), Marion 38 (Pierce 23)

Blocks: Mount Vernon 3 (Huber 2), Marion 8 (Carlee Webber 6)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com