WHITING | Hobart head coach Kristi Hoese was out of town when her team took on Whiting on Monday and the Brickies wanted to win for their coach.
After a sluggish start that ended with a loss, Hobart (12-6) rebounded to beat the host Oilers (11-3) in four games, 17-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20.
"We don't start as strong as we can," junior outside hitter Caylie Pruitt said. "We didn't have the intensity and so we had a pep talk and said we wanted to do this together."
Whiting jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first game and went on to win. But Hobart controlled the second game as setter Geena Lammertin found her groove, giving middle hitter Zoe Wilson and Pruitt several kill chances.
"We encouraged Geena to keep her head up and she picked it up and that's when we got the kills," Pruitt said.
Wilson had two kills and a block -- all out of the middle -- to help the Brickies in the second game.
"Zoe is one of our best players out there," Pruitt said. "She blocks well and her hits are amazing."
Wilson finished with 17 kills and 6 blocks, while Pruitt had 14 kills and Grayce Roach added 13 kills.
The Brickies used a six-point run to build a 7-2 lead in the third game, thanks to Wilson and Pruitt. Whiting used a run of its own to take an 18-12 lead. Mollie Lovasko served six aces during that span.
"Mollie has a great serve and she's able to control it and place it wherever I ask her to put it," Whiting coach Kelly Greer said. "She's bailed us out a few times this year."
Greer is hoping the rest of her squad steps up, too.
"We implode and one mistake turns into 20," she said. "It has to do with our attitude. We just mentally shut down. We're always on the defensive and have to dig ourselves out of a hole."
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