Last year’s shocking sectional loss can now be forgotten.
Lake Central, which saw a 2-1 lead in games slip away last season, didn’t give the host Mustangs a chance to create momentum Saturday. The Indians swept the two-time defending champions 25-20, 25-18, 26-24 to win the Class 4A Munster Sectional title.
LC (30-5) will host Chesterton Sectional winner Crown Point at 7 p.m. Tuesday for the regional championship.
Senior Tori Gardenhire, who was one of seven seniors that returned from last year’s sectional loss, admitted revenge was on her mind all season.
She also wanted to get the monkey off her back because she was at the service line for match point.
“It’s belief, disbelief — it doesn’t feel real right now,” said Gardenhire, who finished 13-for-13 serving with an ace that finished off Game 2. “It was revenge for us. That was our biggest thing. I missed game point serve last year and that haunted me, so being at the service line for game point terrified me. I’m in shock right now.”
Gardenhire also was impressive at the net, knocking down 10 kills. Sam Anderson recorded a team-high 14 kills, Jackie Eader tallied seven kills and Julia Kruzan had five kills and two block kills.
“It amazes (me) watching them hit,” said defensive specialist Mackenzie Evers, who was 10-for-12 serving and 21-of-22 passing with 12 digs. “I wish I could hit like them. It brings so much momentum and it’s so fun to watch them do their thing.”
Game 3 was Munster’s chance to change the trajectory of the match.
Munster (31-6) went on a 4-2 spurt thanks to three kills from freshman Madison Horin and an ace by Lexi Pitsas, giving the Mustangs a 23-21 lead. But the Indians fired back with a pair of kills from Gardenhire and huge kill by Anderson for a 24-24 tie.
Anderson said she put everything into point No. 24.
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“We just knew that it would be a lot easier to take it in three games,” she said. “We knew if we gave them a game, the whole momentum would shift so we had to take it in three games.
“When I got that (24th) point, I honestly think I blacked out a little bit. Half the time I hit it, my eyes are closed and I just black out, but I knew once we got it. I think it boosted us and we realized the game wasn’t over yet. We knew we could get two more points and it amped everybody up.”
Munster coach Tracy Summers called a timeout to rally her team.
It worked on several occasions last year, but LC’s seniors would not let that comeback happen again.
“LC is a bunch of fighters and we knew that coming in,” said Summers, who has coached her team to five sectional championships in the last seven years. “I think it was about executing at the right moments. I thought they executed in the key moments and we didn’t overall.”
Lake Central coach Tina Tinberg said her team had to shut down Michigan State recruit Alyssa Chronowski, who finished with a match-high 18 kills.
“I told them you have to fight,” Tinberg said in the huddle trailing during Game 3. “We had to neutralize and slow down Alyssa.
“To win, we had to have grit, determination, drive and work together for the greater good.”
Ryan Haskell is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.