Tabor volleyball team going regionals
Tabor volleyball team beats KWU for KCAC title and advances to Omaha
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Four years ago, Lady Bluejay seniors Angela Kroeker, Carmen Hein, Laura Campbell, Rachelle Regier, and Sara McAllister boarded the Tabor ship in trust of new coach Amy Ratzlaff guiding them to a KCAC title.
Even better, a berth at the Region VI Tournament.
The last three years, the Bluejays won the regular season title only to get cut down in the KCAC tournament by their bitter rival Bethel Threshers.
Down to their last chance ever, the Bluejays' senior quintet finally cleared the last obstacle, winning the KCAC tournament.
And for the first time in three years, the Threshers weren't standing in the Bluejays' way to regionals.
This time, it was the Kansas Wesleyan Lady Coyotes, the team that handed Tabor its first of five conference losses back in Salina on Sept. 30.
On Saturday night in the final game of the league tournament in Hillsboro, the Bluejays bounced back from a 30-26 loss in the first match to win the next three, 30-21, 30-26, and 30-16.
Tabor lifts its record to 20-12 on the year.
Ratzlaff and her Bluejays make their first ever appearance in the Region IV volleyball regional today in Omaha, Neb., when they face 15th ranked Doane, Neb.
The Coyotes ran out of magic after the opening match.
"We made a lot of errors in the first game out of nerves," the repeat KCAC coach of the year Ratzlaff said of the Bluejays' first game bungles. "You'd see a lot of balls go places we don't normally hit them, we missed a lot serves we don't normally do and we were a little flustered.
"That comes from preparing all day for this event. After the first game, I think they settled into it a little more and started to play their own game."
As for Ratzlaff's repeating as the KCAC's top coach, she credited her team.
"It's my women," she said. "They fight hard for me, and being coach of the year is not that hard when you have that kind of a group of women to work with. They are gems to work with and that makes my job fun. That's the most important part of it."
McAllister capped off the tournament with 54 assists and three aces to earn a repeat as a first team all-league selection.
KCAC freshman of the year and first team selection Staci Whitcomb led the Bluejays with 16 kills and 18 digs. Carmen Hein contributed 17 more of Tabor's 59 digs.
Honorable mention selection Angela Kroeker followed with 14 kills and Regier chipped in 10.
"We knew KW would be a tough game, and I am glad we got to play them," Regier said. "We had to play our toughest to win. We started off slow, but as the game picked up, we picked up.
"When we started outplaying them was when we started winning."
Angela's fellow honorable mention teammate Laura Campbell blocked a match-high 11 with her sister Shannon Kroeker added eight more.
After falling short three straight seasons, the senior quintet achieved its goal.
"It has been the best thing in my life to play for Amy," said Regier. "She has been the most incredible coach and to win with these seniors that I have grown to love so much is beyond any award I could ever get.
"That's what matters most is being able to have won that award with them."
Ottawa
The Bluejays again had to overcome a first set loss Thursday night in Hillsboro to the Ottawa Braves, the vanquisher of the Threshers.
Tabor put a valiant effort in the first set but tumbled, 33-31.
"I think our defense was the problem, not necessarily our back-row defense, but our blocking defense wasn't where it needed to be," said Ratzlaff of the first set defeat. "We were getting beat on the hit.
"You just can't hang in it long enough if you can't block the ball."
Tabor then regrouped to oust the Braves, 30-26, 30-26, and 30-23 to set the table for the match with the Coyotes.
As a result of the first game setback, middle blockers Campbell and Regier turned up their intensity to finish with six and five blocks, respectively. Regier also added 14 kills.
Whitcomb picked up a team-high 17 kills along with 16 digs. Angela followed with 16 kills and a game-high 23 digs.
As usual, McAllister had a scintillating performance, finishing with 56 assists and a trio of aces.
