Title shot for Whips
NORMAL -- The motto on the back of the t-shirts the Hampshire girls are wearing at this weekend's state tournament sums up their current obsession: Making history.
The Hampshire girls volleyball team has a chance to leave an indelible mark with a victory in today's Class 2A state championship match, thanks to Friday's 25-16, 25-14 victory over Chicago Christian in a state semifinal at Redbird Arena in Normal.
Hampshire (37-3) will play Breese Central (32-8) in the title match today at 12:45 p.m. The Cougars rallied from down a game to defeat previously unbeaten Maroa-Forsyth 16-25, 25-15, 25-8.
"This is a dream come true," said Hampshire senior Amber Ladwig. "We have a chance to finish the season in the best way possible."
Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse called for a triple block to stop the Knights' talented middle-hitting duo of sisters Becca (6-foot-1) and Lizzie Kamp (6-0). Coupled with aggressive Hampshire serving, the strategy threw off Chicago Christian's offensive rhythm more times than not.
The Kamp sisters finished with 9 combined kills in 31 attacks, 5 below their combined season average.
"We knew we had to shut down their middles because that was their No. 1 option," Whitehouse said. "The triple block helped."
The Whip-Purs were led offensively by the efficient hitting of senior outside hitter Jena Karkos, who recorded a match-best 13 kills in 25 attacks while making just 3 errors.
Sophomore setter Kara Wehrs dished 23 assists. Kara's twin sister Amy Wehrs posted just 7 kills in 23 attacks, but her hustle led to a team-leading 14 digs. Middle hitter Jackie Clai and right side Kim Kartheiser each notched 2 kills and libero Jen Kondrat contributed 10 digs.
Once again, Hampshire's balance was it's strength.
"Their offense was an offense that was strong all the way around -- middles, outsides, right sides," said Chicago Christian coach Leah Bruskewitz. "Their setter being front row and being able to tip up there makes it tough. That's one thing we haven't seen a lot of this year, a team that has the balanced offense all the way across."
The Whip-Purs calmed their early nerves once they broke free from a 5-5 tie by winning 9 of the next 11 points. It was a surge started by consecutive put downs from Karkos, Kara Wehrs and Kartheiser. Three attack errors by the Knights and an ace by Kartheiser gave Hampshire a 10-6 lead en route to winning Game 1 going away.
"When we got out there we were kind of nervous not knowing exactly how (Chicago Christian) was not having ever played them," said Clai, a senior. "But once we got the lead it did calm us down and we were ready to go."
The Whips finalized Game 1 on a booming Karkos kill of a Kara Wehrs set to the middle.
Hampshire fell behind 4-0 in Game 2 due to 3 unforced errors, but the Whip-Purs caught the Knights at 7-7, courtesy of back-to-back Karkos kills.
"They were down that second (game) and really pushed back," Bruskewitz said. "We haven't seen that a lot against us this season."
The Whip-Purs outscored the Knights 15-4 down the stretch and earned the victory, fittingly, on Karkos' final kill, a spike that deflected off the Chicago Christian block.