Rams claim sectional win in sweep of Eagles

UPPER SANDUSKY — Upper Sandusky coach Donielle Crall was not thrilled that her team found itself in big deficits more than once.

But, Crall was happy with the way her team fought back and never gave up.

The Rams rallied in Games 1 and 3, defeating Colonel Crawford, 27-25, 28-26, 25-23, in a Division III sectional semifinal on Wednesday.

“We talked all season about not giving up,” Crall said. “We really worked really hard in practice yesterday doing drills where we come from behind and did not give up. I think that really helped us.”

With the win, Upper Sandusky improves to 9-14 and advances to Saturday’s sectional final against top-seeded Galion (21-1) at 11 a.m.

“I know the girls have not had a first-round tournament win in at least the last four years,” Crall said. “This was a big deal for them to play at home. To get a win is big and to win in three games is even better.”

The Rams opened the match on fire, as three errors by the Eagles (8-15) and a kill by Reagan Ward gave Upper Sandusky a 9-4 lead. That drew a timeout from Colonel Crawford coach Amber Christie and the break worked.

The Eagles responded with a 9-1 run, taking a 13-10 lead. Colonel Crawford maintained a lead until three straight points by the Rams – capped on an ace by Sydney Stuckman – gave Upper Sandusky a 20-19 lead.

The Eagles again stormed back, winning the next five points for what seemed like a commanding 24-20 lead. But, a service error and kills by Emily Hill and Jenna Kurtz knotted the game at 24 apiece. The teams were also tied at 25 before Kurtz put down a kill and a block for the opening game win for the Rams.

“Getting down like that is a concern,” Crall said. “But at the same time, I am proud that we did not stop playing. In games during the season, we did give up and did not want to finish and push through that.”

The two teams played pretty evenly over the first 18 points of Game 2 before Upper Sandusky took a 13-9 lead. The Rams held a comfortable margin for most of the game before Colonel Crawford surged again.

The Eagles trailed 23-18 after Kurtz registered another block, but Colonel Crawford sprinted off the next six points. Stuckman blasted a kill to keep the Rams alive in the game. The game was tied at 25 and 26 as well before Stuckman added another kill and the Eagles were whistled for a net violation.

“I think playing at home played a big role,” Crall said. “Going to Colonel Crawford – everyone struggles playing in that gym. It is a different atmosphere over there. Getting to play at home was a big deal, especially to our seniors.”

Upper Sandusky won the first three points of Game 3, but Colonel Crawford rattled off five in a row after that. The game was tied at 8 when the Eagles used a 6-1 run for a five-point lead.

The margin blossomed to as big as 19-12 after an Upper Sandusky timeout. Not wanting the match to be extended, the Rams clawed their way back into the game. Upper Sandusky won nine of the next 10 points for a 21-20 as Colonel Crawford called timeout. A hitting error on the Rams tied the game, but two errors by the Eagles, coupled with a net violation and a kill by Hill, gave Upper Sandusky the tight win.

“It could have swung either way,” Christie said. “We struggled on defense. We made some selections on set selections that maybe should not have been made. It was not meant to be tonight.”

The two teams split two regular season meetings in Northern 10 Athletic Conference action, with each winning at home. Colonel Crawford won in three games on Aug. 20 while Upper Sandusky bounced back in four games on Sept. 19.

“We did a little bit of adjusting,” Crall said. “We hit on some key points on where we should not the ball and who we should cover. We wanted to just play and have fun out there.”

Jadyn Smalley led Upper Sandusky with 23 digs. Eve Smith had eight assists while Kurtz finished with seven kills. Galion topped the Rams on Sept. 23 in three games.

“Hopefully we catch them off guard,” Crall said. “We played them once already this season and we played them pretty close. They have gotten better just as we have gotten better. We have to focus on their weaknesses.”