The Observer, September 23, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 4
John Carroll edges Case in weekend volleyball tournament
Ohio State absolutely hates losing to Michigan. While the Case and John Carroll neighborhood rivalry might not be quite as bitter, the Spartans, no matter what the sport, still hate losing to the Blue Streaks.
Unfortunately, that is what happened for the Case volleyball team at its annual home tournament this past Saturday. After losing its first three matches of the tournament, Case was hungry for the wins. The match did not start out well for the Spartans as they lost the first two games, but they battled back to win the next two games, 30-22, and 30-27, respectively. This set up an exciting fifth and final game of the match, but the Blue Streaks pulled it out in the end, 19-17.
Despite the outcome, the Spartans played well, and their overall strong performance is a sign of things to come.
"It was a great game," said assistant coach Jeff Harrah. "It showed what these girls can do. You can see things getting better and better with each match." Harrah believes that it will be sooner rather than later when the players will start to see their improvement manifest itself in the win column.
The players acknowledged that the team's slow start was a key factor in determining the final outcome.
"We need to start off stronger and get more excited right from the beginning," said freshman Elise Snell. "We also need to become more consistent."
"It wasn't due to our level of play that we lost," added senior Heather Nappi. "Our passes were subpar at the beginning, and we didn't come out as fired up as we needed to be."
While she would have preferred a win, Nappi did earn all-tournament honors. This was not a new occurrence for Nappi, as she has garnered many honors such as these in the past.
"It's just something that happens," she explained. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates."
Harrah, though, acknowledged Nappi's great individual performance.
"She was just her usual dominant self this weekend," he said. Harrah explained that Nappi, listed at 5-6, is not quite as tall as the typical star volleyball player, but she makes up for it with her quickness and experience.
Nappi and the Spartans will get one more chance to defeat John Carroll when they travel to University Heights for a match next Wednesday. The Spartans already have the date marked on their calendars. By playing against JCU once already, they believe they are better prepared.
