Neuqua happy to move on

An explanation for a slow start is a nugget of wisdom coaches forever quest for.

Most, like Neuqua Valley’s Kelly Simon, must accept it and move on.

“I don’t think anybody anticipated that,” Simon said of her team’s sluggish start Tuesday, “but who does? I never have an answer. I don’t think coaches ever have an answer.”

Moving on, Simon’s Wildcats will gladly accept.

No. 3 seed Neuqua shook off an error-plagued start to roll past No. 14 Plainfield North 25-16, 25-9 and into Thursday’s championship match of the Class 4A Plainfield Central regional.

Neuqua, which will play Plainfield Central, is in its sixth straight regional final but still searching for that elusive first regional title.

That’s a quest Simon is ready to end.

“We’re ready to win a regional final,” Simon said. “We need to take that next step.”

Neuqua (21-16) watched Plainfield Central upset Metea in Tuesday’s first match, then gave Plainfield North a little hope early on.

The Tigers (19-17) broke ahead 13-9 in the first set, 11 of those points coming courtesy of Neuqua errors.

“I think we might have underestimated them a little,” Neuqua senior Leighanne Novak said.

An extra boost of playoff adrenaline perhaps factored in. Neuqua had 2 long serves and 3 hits sail long among the 11 errors.

“Overswinging, just wanting things to go well,” Simon said, “rather than relaxing and allowing them to go well. Halfway through game one we started to relax and play.”

Neuqua indeed righted the ship in ample time.

A kill and ace by Kaitlynn Novak got the Wildcats within 14-13, and a Taylor McKeown back-row kill gave them the lead for good at 16-15. Up 18-16, Neuqua finished the first set on a 7-0 run which featured a tip kill and ensuing front-row smash from Callie Huebener.

“Once we got on a roll,” Simon said, “everything seemed to fall into place.”

Neuqua wasted no time taking care of business in the second set. From a 2-2 tie the Wildcats put things away with an 11-1 run. Leighanne Novak’s 2 aces highlighted the hot stretch.

Novak had 4 of Neuqua’s 9 aces for the match. Aggressive serving is nothing new from the Wildcats.

“We use our serve as a weapon,” Novak said.

Novak had 6 kills and 2 blocks, Huebener and McKeown 5 kills and Kaitlynn Novak 4 kills for Neuqua, which committed just 6 errors in the second set.

“That second game Plainfield North didn’t play a whole lot different, but we were a whole lot different,” Simon said. “That first set was an eye-opener for us. We have to be ready to execute from the first whistle.”

Rest assured, Simon said her girls won’t be looking past Plainfield Central Thursday. Neuqua needed three sets to beat Plainfield Central back in August.

“We said at the time this was the best Plainfield Central team we’ve ever seen,” Simon said. “They do have a lot of talent and a lot of height.”