Ord overcomes slow start, claims C-1 crown

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BY RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star

This time, Ord’s slow start only lasted part of one game, not an entire two games.

The third-ranked Chanticleers wiped out two game points against them in game one, then rode that momentum to a 26-24, 25-16, 25-17 victory against No. 4 Minden in the Class C-1 state volleyball championship match Saturday at Pershing Center.

Ord’s (27-2) run to its first volleyball state title included a drama-filled 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-6 win against No. 6 St. Paul in the first round Friday. Ord followed that  in the semifinals with a three-game sweep of No. 2 Kearney Catholic, a team that had beaten Ord twice earlier this season.

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Ord's Kellie Peterson (left) hugs Desiree Erikson (right) after Ord defeated Minden in the Class C-1 volleyball state finals. (Jill Peitzmeier)

Ord coach takes away players' cell phones

In this day and age, Ord coach Wendy Alexander resorted to extreme measures to keep her team focused during the state tournament. She took away their cell phones for the weekend.

Before the tournament, “we talked about the commitment we wanted to make to this, and that we could leave all interference and communication behind and really concentrate on the tournament,” Alexander said.

Since it worked so well at the state tournament, does Alexander wish she had done it all season? “No way,’’ she said, laughing. “They’re going through enough withdrawal (not having the cell phones) just these two days.”

Ord and Minden took parallel paths in building toward this year’s run to the state finals. In 2005, Ord was 18-8 and Minden 19-9. Ord was 20-5 in 2006 and Minden 21-9. Neither were in the state tournament those years.

And while both schools have numerous common opponents, Ord and Minden had not faced each other during the high school season in recent years.

“They really settled down and played well after those first two games against St. Paul,” Ord coach Wendy Alexander said. “I don’t know if you can coach that kind of confidence. It needs to come from within.”

Minden (29-7) led almost all of game one, as Ord’s last lead was 4-3, at least until its final run. A net violation moved Minden to game point at 24-22, but Ord responded by winning the next four points.

A right-side tip off the block by senior Kellie Peterson saved the first game point, then back-to-back Minden hitting errors gave Ord a 25-24 advantage. A point-ending tip by Kelcie Pelton on a overpass set up by a Peterson serve secured it for the Chanticleers.

“That comeback was big,’’ said Peterson, who finished with match-high 18 kills and four ace blocks. Junior setter Desiree Erikson sparked the offense with 30 assists.

“We kept talking, kept it together on the court and that pulled us through,” Peterson added.

Eight missed serves and eight hitting errors in games two and three plagued Minden. Ord overcame a 10-6 deficit in game two, turning things around with a 10-2 run. Ord and Minden went toe-to-toe for most of game three until the Chanticleers ran off the final six points of the match. Peterson had a tip and the match-ending kill during the spree, while Abby Welniak delivered a service ace.

Minden coach Ed Rowse was impressed by Ord’s defense. Senior libero Brynn Barnes’ 25 digs led that effort, while teammate senior outside hitter Riley Callan had 12 digs to go with six kills, all in games two  and three.

“We lacked confidence on our attack,’’ Rowse said. “Our left-side hitters never got going, and you have to credit Ord’s defense for that. It’s also hard to get anything going when you miss as many serves as we did.”

Senior outside hitters Ann Ahrens and Lea Ann Jameson paced Minden with 11 and nine kills, respectively. Teammate Lindsey Sitorius had 25 assists.