Elsah, ILL. -- Principia hosted both Illinois College and Hannibal LaGrange today, and finished 1-1 losing to IC, and earning a knock-down-drag-out victory 23-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13! First I want to celebrate a gym filled with great fans that brought beautiful energy to the competition, and it certainly buoyed the team!
A Look at Illinois College Match:
We knew IC was a tough team, so the Panthers set their sights on a very intentional game to make IC stutter, and did a fine job! IC out-hit Principia .183-.034, and their ability to score off of serve receive was superior to Principia, leading to a comfortable 3 game win over the Panthers.
Good to Know:
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Sarah Ungerleider stepped it up in a new roster position leading the offense with 8 kills, hitting .207.
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Mesa Goebel, also in a new position hit an effective .250, and served 100% - along with
Greer Sprague and
Sarah Ungerleider.
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Nikki Matters and
Amanda Roberts picked up 13 and 12 digs respectively.
A Look at the Hannibal LaGrange Match:
Actually Hannibal won in every single statistical category…..except the one that matters in the end, the final score. Hannibal (NAIA) came in today with 6 matches under their belt compared to Prin's three, and Prin is working with the third new lineup in as many matches due to some challenges, so hat's off to a very veteran team that has been shoulder to shoulder with the coaches working for creative ways to solve problems and inch forward…no matter what!
Good to Know:
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Amanda Roberts and
Sarah Ungerleider were 100% from the service line, with two Aces from Amanda.
-Both
Devon Marunde and
Amanda Roberts posted over 30 digs, Devon tying her personal record at 37 (a PR set in last year's match against Hannibal ??)
-The offense was led by
Nikki Matters with 17 kills and
Sarah Ungerleider with 16.
-Setter
Devon Marunde showed tremendous poise and grit as she dished out nearly 170 balls, running the offense with such clarity.
She Said It:
"This team made so many good decisions today, and then had to execute. The thoughtful intentionality made all of the difference. They just wouldn't lay down and let Hannibal win. They EARNED that victory", shared Coach
Mary Ann Sprague.
Up Next:
The Panthers travel to nearby Lewis and Clark Community College for a game next Tuesday night at 6:00 pm.
