WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | Thursday's quarterfinals of the Porter County Conference girls volleyball tournament yielded contrasting outcomes.
Host Washington Township swept Morgan Township 25-10, 25-16, 25-14, while South Central survived a 25-23,19-25,25-19, 21-25, 15-7 verdict with Boone Grove.
Boone Grove used an 8-1 run to tie S.C. 15-15 tie in game four and then used a 4-2 run to send it to a fifth game.
South Central recovered in the deciding game, using an 8-1 run to advance to the semifinals. Kaitlyn Jackson had two aces during the crucial run, and the Satellites also capitalized on three Boone Grove errors.
South Central coach Ashley Rinker talked about her team's uneven play.
“It’s been typical of our whole season,” she said. “We’re not expecting the other team to fight back. You can be up 20-0, but the game doesn’t end until you have 25 points."
“We were really focused (in game five). We missed three serves, but we stayed focused after every point."
Jackson had 12 kills and four aces to lead South Central, while Briana Satoski added 10 kills.
Nicole Malouhos had 12 kills and two block kills for the Wolves, while Morgan Marshall had 14 kills and two aces.
Washington Township raced to an 18-7 lead in the opening game, used a late 7-1 run to take the second game and closed the match out with a 4-0 run in the clincher.
“(The second game) absolutely set the tone for game three,” Morgan Township coach Leslie Abbett said. “We started playing timidly and weren’t being aggressive anymore.”
Lauren Kleist added four kills for the Senators, while Corie O’Connor had four aces.
Alison Goetz had six kills to lead the Cherokees and Courtney Maxwell added nine.
Washington Township will face South Central in the first semifinal Saturday.
“We know we’re going to have to be more put together (against Washington Township),” Rinker said. “They’re very loud, so we’re going to have to be that way, too.”
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