Games go down to the wire, but Fox Lane girls volleyball falls to R.C. Ketcham

Tori Schmiegel slams one down at the net. Evangeline Santos makes a play in the back row. Elianny Carino returns serve. Azzy Brown makes a pass for the Foxes. Jim MacLean Photos

By JIM MACLEAN 

Every game went down to the wire with exciting plays being made on both sides of the court, but in the end it was another tough loss for the Fox Lane girls varsity volleyball team as the Foxes hosted R.C. Ketcham on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

The score was tied with many lead changes throughout all three games, but Ketcham was the first to reach 25 in each game to secure a 3-0 victory by the score of 25-22, 25-22, 27-25 in the final game of the regular season for the Foxes.

It was another sign of how far the team has come this season as Fox Lane played a strong match, hitting, serving and passing well, against a large Class AAA school with a better record and a veteran lineup.

“We have improved tremendously from the beginning of the season,” explained Fox Lane coach Kelli Kinlin. “We were playing teams that were nowhere near as good as them (Ketcham) and getting killed in three games. It’s difficult for the girls to look at how they are playing now and compare it to how much they’ve improved since we started, because we’re not getting the wins. It’s frustrating, but we as the coaching staff are incredibly proud of the amount of growth they have made this season.”

The match started out with Ketcham grabbing an early lead in the first game, but Fox Lane stormed back and took an 11-10 lead. It was a battle the rest of the way as neither team held more than a two-point lead with several ties and lead changes. Fox Lane tied it up at 18-18 on a kill from Azzy Brown, and the Foxes gained the lead on the next point with a tip at the net from Tori Schmiegel to make it 19-18. Brown tied it up at 21-21 with another kill at the net, but Ketcham scored four of the last five points to close out the game with a 25-22 win for a 1-0 lead.

The second game was more of the same with both teams making a run but unable to pull away. After falling behind 2-0, Fox Lane rallied back and took a 4-2 lead on a roof block by Schmiegel.

Elianny Carino then served five-straight points and Fox Lane held its biggest lead of the game at 9-3, but Ketcham rallied back to tie it up at 9-9. Fox Lane led 19-18, but Ketcham scored the next four points to take a 22-19 lead. Fox Lane kept battling on every point and cut it down to one at 23-22, but once again Ketcham was able to close it out for a 2-0 lead.

The Foxes were determined to go down fighting as they came out strong to start the third game and opened up a 5-0 lead. Fox Lane extended the lead to seven points at 12-5 and it was 14-8 before Ketcham staged its rally to gain the lead at 17-16.

Fox Lane answered as Carino served three-straight points to give the Foxes a 21-18 lead, but Ketcham once again showed its veteran experience, chipping away at the lead and tying it up at 23-23. The Foxes held a 25-24 lead, but could not close it out as Ketcham scored the final three points for a 27-25 win to wrap up the 3-0 victory.

The senior duo of Brown and Schmiegel led the way for the Foxes as they have done all season. They both played a strong game at the net in their final match on the home court at Fox Lane.

“Azzy, I’m so proud of her, the way she has played all season long, a lot of blocks today for her, and Tori too, she’s our go-to in the middle, we’re going to miss them dearly next year,” Kinlin said of Brown and Schmiegel. “They are both really good role models training the younger girls, like Ava Rose Kalarchian, who has really stepped up this year.”

Carino is another senior Kinlin praised after her match against Ketcham serving and playing defense in the back row.

“She has improved tremendously,” Kinlin said of Carino. “When she’s on the court if the ball is in her vicinity she is making a play and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

With the loss, Fox Lane closed out the regular season with five victories as the Foxes wait for the seeding to see where they will play in the upcoming Section 1 Class AA tournament.