LYLE – A practice devoted to serve receive and attacking paid off for Lyle/Pacelli Tuesday night.

Wednesday, September 22, 1999

LYLE – A practice devoted to serve receive and attacking paid off for Lyle/Pacelli Tuesday night. The team picked up its second Southeast Conference West Division win of the year in Lyle with a four-game win over Fillmore Central. The scores were 15-10, 13-15, 15-5, 15-3.

Lyle/Pacelli broke out in front in every game. In game one, they were up 12-4 before holding on to the 15-10 win.

Game two saw them break out to a 9-2 lead. L/P still looked like the likely winner of the game when they made it 13-6 on an outside kill by Melissa Ehret. The Falcons then took charge of the game reeling off five straight points on Cassie Benson’s (14 set assists) serve. The score remained there through five servers before Abby Herman (11 service points) hit an ace serve to make it 13-12. The Falcons scored another point on her serve and closed out the game with two kills from Mandy Mensink (10 kills).

"We were too far back on defense and they made a few tips on us," Lyle/Pacelli co-coach Norm Blaser said. "We then came out and played aggressive and our serve receive stepped forward."

"We weren’t quite there with the passes," Ehret said. "When we started getting the passes we got some good hits."

The loss could also be contributed to a second-game curse for L/P.

"We haven’t won many second games this year," Blaser said.

Game three saw L/P race out to a another 9-2 lead. This time they closed out the game. They scored three straight points on Ehret’s serve to make it 14-4. Kassie Baldner smashed home a kill, Ehret hit an ace and then another solid serve from her forced a Fillmore Central (3-6, 0-2) mistake. L/P then got a side out with Laura Nelson putting the ball down on a flat-footed attack. Amy Bickler then scored the game-winning point on her serve.

L/P needed only one service rotation to take the decisive game. Serving cleanup was Jessie Schnieder. L/P scored 10 straight points on her serve starting at 5-3. Nelson made a nice stuff of a 50/50 ball to score point 14 and Ehret then, with her feet on the ground, placed a great kill to score the final point of the evening. From the left side she hit it to the far corner hitting the right sideline.

"That was complete luck," Ehret said. "They didn’t go after it and it turned into a winner."

Baldner, Ehret and Joan Sheedy were the top three attackers for L/P. Baldner had 12 kills, Sheedy 11, and Ehret nine. Nelson was in top firm in defense at the net with six ace blocks. Ehret was 15-for-15 in service with eight points. Nelson was 17-of-17 with four, and Schnieder was 23-of-24 with 19 points including three aces. Amy Bickler set up 21 attacks and Julie Rugg 13. Ehret led the way win digs with 17, Nelson had 13, and Bickler 11.

Lyle/Pacelli ( 5-4, 2-0) will tussle for first place in the West Division when they travel to LeRoy on Thursday. The Cardinals (9-5, 3-0) defeated Southland in Adams on Tuesday in four games, 15-5, 9-15, 15-6, 15-8.