Larks top Cards in four
Published 12:57 am Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Grand Meadow's Cortney Olson celebrates an ace serve against LeRoy-Ostrander in LeRoy Tuesday. The Superlarks beat the Cardinals for the first time in three years. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
LEROY — The six seniors on the Grand Meadow volleyball team had to wait a long time to knock off their biggest rivals, but it was all worth the wait.
LeRoy-Ostrander's Becca Bunne goes up for a hit against Grand Meadow in LeRoy Tuesday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Superlarks avenged an earlier loss this season to LeRoy-Ostrander when they beat the Cardinals for the first time in three years in four games by scores of 25-21, 17-25, 25-19, 25-19 in LeRoy Tuesday.
GM senior Audra Durhman spiked down the 24th and 25th points for the Larks (7-6 overall, 5-3 SEC) in the fourth and final game of the night.
“I’ve been waiting for this for awhile, and finally we did it,” she said.
The Cardinals (8-3 overall, 4-2 SEC) led the final game 13-10 until Durhman went on a six-point serving run that saw her hit on two aces.
LO junior Becca Bunne had 21 kills, but no other Cardinals could find consistent hitting space against GM’s front line.
“This is huge. With our rivalry it’s really nice to come through,” GM head coach Michael Keefe said. “I was really pleased with how our defense stepped up. We did a good job of keeping them out of a rhythm that was comfortable for them.”
While the defense excelled, GM senior Cortney Olson had her way at the net as she racked up 22 kills and two ace blocks. Olson gave credit to GM senior setter Autumn Thorsen, who had 40 set assists on the night.
“Autumn did a very good job. Her sets were right on tonight,” Olson said. “It feels good (to beat LO) and it’s definitely a confidence booster. We’ll have a lot more energy coming into our next match.”
GM also came back in game three as the LO opened with a 10-7 lead, but GM scored 11 of the next 15 points and it never let up from that point.
Autumn Thorsen goes back to make a dig against Leroy-Ostrander Tuesday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
LO senior Rachel Schaeffer, who had eight kills, served the first six points of game two and the Cards never trailed in that contest, but the Larks jumped out to a 15-10 lead in game one.
GM stats: Autumn Thorsen, 40 set assists; Cortney Olson, 22 kills, 2 ace blocks; Audra Durhman, 18 kills; Ashley Crumb, 8 digs
LO stats: Becca Bunne, 21 kills; Megan Grant, 34 set assists; Jessica Jennings, 20 digs; Rachel Schaeffer, 8 kills
