Skryd serves up momentum for Neuqua
Momentum can be fickle in any girls volleyball match - let alone between rivals like Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.
On Tuesday night momentum was as good as a Sam Skryd serve.
Neuqua Valley ran off 9 straight points on Skryd's serve, 5 on aces, in storming back to win the second game and the match 25-22, 27-25 over the host Warriors.
"Serving is big," Skryd said, "because we're such a small team. Once I get the first couple in I really go for it and swing as hard as I can."
The Wildcats (4-1, 3-0 Upstate Eight Conference) trailed 20-12 before a Skryd kill started the momentum swing. At 23-14 Skryd took over serve. She put down three straight aces to make it 23-19, and Neuqua Valley tied it at 23-23 on a two-hand Alexis Rogers tip kill.
Neuqua Valley had 4 service errors in the first game and only 8 aces the entire match. The Wildcats do, though, excel at the service line.
"(Skryd) has a tremendous jump serve," Neuqua Valley coach Kelly Simon said. "Really tonight our serving wasn't as strong as it has been. But we have some very effective servers."
Neuqua Valley's big run followed up a string of 8 straight points by Waubonsie Valley that hade made it 20-12. Martha Stewart had 3 of her 5 kills for the Warriors in the run.
"They got on a nice run," Waubonsie Valley coach Kristen Stuart said of Neuqua Valley. "We serve receive balls harder than that all the time. I don't know what got in their head."
"We never thought we were out of it," Simon said.
With the score tied at 25-25, Neuqua Valley grabbed the lead for good on a Nikki Federico kill that looked to be just long in the left corner by the Waubonsie Valley bench. An Emily Tulloch block closed out the match.
"Waubonsie matches, you never know what's going to happen," Simon said. "It's always a battle to the end. I'm really proud of my girls for keeping their composure when things were not looking good."
Neuqua Valley led throughout most of the first game, and closed it out on Rachel Quackenbush's fifth kill of the game. Quackenbush finished with 7 kills and Federico had 6 kills and 7 digs for Neuqua Valley, which took Downers Grove South to the wire in a two-game loss on Monday, the Wildcats' first defeat of the season. Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley both play at the Wheaton Classic this weekend with area powers Benet, Downers Grove South, Naperville Central and Naperville North.
"This week is a gauge of where we're at," Simon said.
Skryd added 11 digs, Rogers 5 blocks, Tulloch 3 blocks and Hope Baumgartner 12 assists for Neuqua Valley.
Nicole Salmon and Kari Galen both had 5 kills for Waubonsie Valley (3-3, 2-1). Jenna Hotwagner had 16 assists and Stewart 8 digs.