Despite committing 28 unforced errors, Maine West still managed to come back and win Game 2 Thursday against Maine South, forcing a deciding third game.
But the hosts could not carry over the momentum gained in the second game, nor could the Warriors overcome 12 more miscues in the final game, as Maine South received a 15-9, 15-17, 15-2 victory in Des Plaines Thursday night.
“After we made some costly errors in the second game, I thought the kids just decided to turn up the intensity level,” said Maine South coach Gary Granell. “We went to the kids who were hot, and we played well defensively down the stretch.”
Maine South (5-5, 2-2) quickly diminished Maine West’s steam in the final contest when the Hawks jumped out to an 8-0 lead thanks in part to the Warriors’ six unforced errors, five of which came on the attack.
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Maine West’s Jeremy Desiron (24 of 37 attack, 17 kills) couldn’t get on track, as the senior missed on his first four kill attempts. Four more errors made it 12-2 Hawks before three straight kills finished the Warriors (3-11, 1-2).
Brian Price paced the Hawk attack with 17 kills, including four in the third.
“Our errors just killed us, and you cant expect to win matches if you allow a team to score 10 points off of errors,” said Maine West coach Maureen Moeller, whose team dropped its fourth straight match. “We had a nice game in the second, and we should have been able to use that confidence in the last game.
“We’re going to have to learn that one game does not win the match.”
Maine South learned that lesson after the Hawks cruised in the opening game. The Warriors took an 8-7 lead on a lifting violation, but Maine South closed the game on an 8-1 run as Mike Kemerer (5 kills, 4 ace-blocks) stuffed four would-be Maine West attacks.
Maine South couldn’t put Maine West away in Game 2, as the Warriors never trailed by more than three points. South failed to put a good run together when the Hawks held match point on two occasions.
Desiron single-handedly kept the Warriors from fading when he collected 11 kills in the game, including a left-side shot that tied the game up at 15-15. West then took the game when South’s serve-receive fell apart, with the Warriors Alex McGill (8 kills, 3 aces) dropping consecutive serves into the Hawk back row for the 17-15 victory.
“Neither team really ever caught on fire,” Granell said. “In the second game, no one wanted to take control, and we made some mistakes.”