Geneva handles pressure, Batavia
Melissa Hanika was determined not to let this one slip away.
The 5-foot-8 senior outside hitter recorded 7 of her match-high 13 kills in the decisive third game to lift Geneva (14-5, 3-1) to a pressure-packed 25-21, 19-25, 25-23 Upstate Eight Conference River Division volleyball triumph over visiting Batavia (15-11, 1-3) Tuesday night.
Hanika, who had the Vikings’ first 3 kills of Game 3, also delivered the last 3 kills — the final one coming from the right side on match point.
“I didn’t want to lose — not tonight,” said Hanika. “I really wanted to win to bring our team closer together.”
Admittedly, Hanika felt a bit of tension down the stretch even though it definitely didn’t show in her play.
“I was really nervous,” said Hanika, whose team had beaten Batavia in 2 games a little more than a month ago during the Vikings’ own tournament. “They were much more ready to play the second time but we showed them that this is our gym.”
Back-to-back kills from Hanika (13-for-15 hitting) enabled the Vikings to break a 21-all tie in the third game.
“She was just on a mission,” said Geneva coach KC Johnsen. “When it came back around to her (in the rotation), I knew we were in pretty good shape. She had that look that she wasn’t going to be denied this one.”
Playing without the services of junior middle hitter Tess Forneris (undisclosed injury), the Vikings received a timely lift from 5-11 sophomore Noelle Eveland (7 kills, 7 digs).
“Noelle stepped in and did a fantastic job,” said Johnsen. “We needed it tonight.”
Hannah Buck (5 kills), Elle Weinstein (5 kills, 9 digs), Ashleigh Shain (9 digs), and senior setter Stephanie Earl (22 assists, 9 digs, 2 aces) supported the Vikings’ cause.
“It was a typical Batavia-Geneva battle,” said Johnsen, whose team faces Kaneland tonight before participating in this weekend’s St. Charles East tournament. “I was proud of our kids because they never let them put together a run in the third game.”
Batavia, which closed out Game 2 with a 13-7 surge to snap a 12-12 deadlock behind 5 kills from sophomore Jess Hartmann, kept things interesting throughout the third game.
Junior middle hitter Kristen Koncelik had 6 of her team-leading 12 kills in Game 3, while Anysa Ocon (8 kills), Mary Nilles (4 kills, 29 assists), and libero Stephanie Kinane (14 digs) also chipped in.
“We turned things around in the Game 2 and Game 3 could have gone either way,” said Batavia coach Lori Trippi-Payne. “But we made too many mistakes in the first game and kind of gave them one there.
“We knew what they were going to do (late in the third game) but we didn’t do a good enough job of stopping it,” added Trippi-Payne.
Johnsen wasn’t surprised with the nerve-racking finish.
“That’s what keeps me young or ages me — I’m not sure which,” said the coach.