high school sports

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Rincon solves 'pressure situation'

Rangers prevail after challenges in second, third

By Michael J. Craven

Arizona Daily Star

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.05.2008

Rincon/University must have been feeling confident after winning its first game in Tuesday's 5A-II regional tournament against Sunnyside by 20 points.

It was a game that took all of nine minutes, and seemed to foreshadow the inevitable result for the underdog Blue Devils.

While the Rangers did go on to win in three games (25-5, 25-21, 25-22), Sunnyside refused to go down without a fight.

"A lot of that first game was the fact that we're in regionals and we got real tight, being that it's a 'pressure situation,' " Sunnyside coach Heidi Trump said. "Once we relaxed, we played much better volleyball, which is what we tend to do."

After losing the battle of unforced errors 13-1 in the first game, Sunnyside (0-7) made only five more errors than Rincon (4-3) over the final two games.

"When they realize they have to pick it up, they do," Rincon senior Savannah Chavez said of the Blue Devils. "Sometimes, the mentality of the team that does well in the first game is that you expect to win the match. So you ease up a little bit and you don't realize the other team is picking it up."

Sunnyside picked it up so much during the third game that the Rangers found themselves down 13-6.

That is when Chavez spiked consecutive kills to cut Sunnyside's lead to 13-8, then later tapped the ball over for a point to cut the score to 14-10.

Rincon continued to inch closer until junior blocker Alyssa Mort blasted a kill that tied the game at 22.

Sunnyside committed three consecutive errors to end the third game and the match.

Chavez said the Rangers tried to use their early deficit in the third game to their advantage.

"It was really an incentive to pick it up a whole lot," Chavez said. "You just gotta go out there and swing hard. … I think sometimes it just takes being down a few points to realize that."

Rincon will play Mountain View (3-3) today at 6:30 p.m. at Ironwood Ridge High School, 2475 W. Naranja Drive in Oro Valley.

The winner of that game will play Ironwood Ridge, which is undefeated in the region with six wins.

5A-I playoffs

On the 5A-I side, Tucson (4-3) recovered after losing the first game against Casa Grande (0-7), and went on to win in four games (27-29, 25-14, 25-21, 26-24).

During the first game, Casa Grande trailed 24-21 when the Cougars called a timeout to regroup.

The Cougars then came back to force extra points, and ended up winning the game.

"We came out on a roll, and then let them back into it and that carried over for the rest of the match," Tucson coach Tim Nordensson said.

The same scenario unfolded in the third and fourth games: Casa Grande trailed 24-21 and called timeout.

But Tucson was prepared. "We told our girls, 'We were in this situation last time. Come out and get it done or they're gonna come back and fight you for it,' " Nordensson said.

Tucson will be matched up against Sierra Vista Buena (4-2) in the next round of playoffs today at 5 p.m. at Ironwood Ridge.

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