Lady Jays take over first place
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
In a two-way tie for the top spot in KCAC, something had to give Tuesday night in Hillsboro when the Lady Bluejays took on the Ottawa Lady Braves.
Coach Amy Ratzlaff can breathe a sigh of relief.
It took a hard fought four games, but Tabor (13-10, 10-2 KCAC) now has control of first place in the KCAC, unseating Ottawa.
The Braves won the first game, 30-22, before the Bluejays, behind stellar play from Staci Whitcomb and Jill Hein, rebounded to win the next three, 30-27, 30-25, and 30-28.
"It was a good game and a hard fought win," a drained Ratzlaff said. "Ottawa hit hard and served well and the stats show it.
"We had to fight back the third and fourth games and you have to applaud the women for that. Jill had a phenomenal game and I've never seen her play like that. She played a solid match all the way around."
Hein and Whitcomb combined for 30 kills with 15 each.
Ratzlaff and her team had to be pulling Oct. 13 for their biggest enemies, the Bethel Lady Threshers.
With a Bethel win over then KCAC frontrunner Ottawa, the Bluejays would be in sole command of first place in the league.
That's just what the Threshers couldn't do, meaning Tabor had to beat the visiting Kansas Wesleyan Lady Coyotes Thursday to stay tied with the Lady Braves.
As hot as the Bluejays are right now after winning seven straight, that should have been as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
With the exception of Bethel on Oct. 11, no conference foe has lasted more than three games with the Bluejays.
The Coyotes were no different, getting bowled over in three, 30-14, 30-19, and 30-26.
"I don't feel like we played our best against KWU," said Ratzlaff. "But I did see a solid effort from the squad.
"We made a lot of good adjustments on the court during the match."
The performances of Anne Gunden, Whitcomb, Lindsay Vogts, and Hein were worthy of high praise from Ratzlaff.
"Anne has made some adjustments in her setting which have a much more effective offense this week," said Ratzlaff. "She had a great week with 14.5 assists per game against Bethel and 12 against KWU. These figures are well above average and it shows on the court."
The sensational sophomore spiker Whitcomb elevated her hitting during the week.
"She is such a solid all-around player that her ability to hit with the force she does is just icing on the cake," Ratzlaff said of Whitcomb.
As for the duo of Vogts and Hein, the two combined for 47 kills during the week.
"The amazing thing is that each middle player only had two hitting errors this week," said Ratzlaff. "Being reliable and effective made them unstoppable this week."
On Oct. 11 in North Newton, the Bluejays went for a regular season sweep of the Lady Threshers in another heated contest.
Up 2-0 after posting 30-25 and 30-24 wins, the Bluejays hit a pothole the third game, tumbling 31-29.
But Tabor picked up the sweep with a 30-24 victory in game four.
Playing close to home, Moundridge natives Whitcomb and Vogts led Tabor with 16 and 15 kills, respectively. Hein and Erin Loewen each added 14 kills and Hein picked up three blocks.
Hesston's Traci Neufeld had a team-high three aces.
The Bluejays closed out the first half of the regular season Oct. 7 in Hillsboro, disposing of the Southwestern Lady 'Builders in three, 30-21, 30-17, and 30-18.
Whitcomb and Vogts combined for 16 kills with Whitcomb picking up a team-high 14 digs.
Neufeld had 11 digs and Gunden, amidst 38 assists, chipped in 10 digs.
On Oct. 5, the Bluejays invaded Lindsborg and wiped out the Bethany Lady Swedes, 30-17, 30-25, and 30-23.
Whitcomb had a team-high 13 kills, Hein had 10 along with 10 more supplied by Loewen, who also had 12 digs.
Neufeld followed with 11 digs.
Tabor faces a tough a week starting tonight in a road test in Wichita against Friends before hosting Southern Nazarene University Saturday at high noon.
Tonight's game is slated for 7 p.m.
