A few of the best matches and most impressive athlete performances:
Kim Hildreth and Sarah Schermerhorn had a great first match against Brittany Tiegs and Carly Wopat. Kim had 16 digs and an ace while Sarah had a nearly perfect offensive game with 17 kills and only 1 error on 18 attempts hitting .889.
Tim Bomgren and Troy Field fought hard in a 3-set block party against Piotr Marciniak and Rafu Rodriguez. TNT lost the first set, but they looked like they’d take the second easily until Piotr and Rafu tied it up towards the end. The teams traded points until a Troy back-of-the-line ace won it for TNT 29-27. The third set was push-and-pull all game, with the lead never going over 3 points. In the end, Tim and Troy were victorious 15-12. Troy was dominant at the net, notching 12 terminal blocks and 1 controlled block. He also had 18 kills and an ace, including the one that won them the second set and kept them alive. Tim had 23 kills and 13 digs. Piotr had an impressive 30 kills, but he had 11 errors (most of them Troy blocks). He also had 9 terminal blocks and 6 controlled.
Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet won a scorcher against Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler to advance to the Game to Get In. Sheila had 26 kills and only 3 errors, and also notched 15 digs. Kenzie also had 15 digs, many of which came during long rallies where she was all over the court.
Reid Priddy and David Lee won a 3-set barn burner against Wilson Cup Qualifiers Miles Partain and Ty Loomis. Reid had a solid match with 22 kills and 12 digs; David had 6 terminal blocks, 3 controlled blocks, and 3 aces. Ty, traditionally a defender, held his own at the net with 4 terminal blocks and 5 controlled blocks.
But the real fun came during the…
GAMES TO GET IN
Stafford Slick and Billy Allen make it back in the Main Draw with their win over a tough team – Tim Bomgren and Troy Field. Stafford and Billy both had 16 kills and Billy had 13 digs. But I think their win was a result of their cool under pressure. In both sets, they got an early comfortable lead only to have Tim and Troy close the gap. They remained steady until the end of both sets, and finished the match 21-19.
We had a drama-filled first Women’s Game to Get In. Crissy Jones and Traci Callahan make it back to the Main Draw with their win over Molly Turner and Katie Hogan. But it didn’t necessarily look that way to begin with. Molly and Katie had been cruising all day, winning two upsets this morning and looking solid at the beginning of Set 1. They got up 13-9, but then there were two tussles at the net. The first was a collision with Katie and Crissy that was deemed legal; the second came the following point when Crissy stepped on Molly’s foot. Molly took a medical timeout as Katie, Crissy, and Traci talked to the ref about the call. The ref called a replay, and that’s when Traci and Crissy took over. They went on a 12-4 run to take the set 21-17. Both teams were fired up, screaming after every point, clapping loudly, making up for the lack of crowd noise. Crissy and Traci got a lead in the second and got the 19-16 switch. But Molly and Katie turned it on to get within 1 point. In the end, a long rally ended in a jumbo just out of bounds by Molly – Traci and Crissy are the only team to start in the Qualifier and make it to the Main Draw all three weekends of the Champions Cup Series. Crissy had a stellar showing, hitting .700 with 15 kills and 1 error, 2 terminal blocks, and an ace.
Ricardo Santos and Miles Evans pulled out the 3-setter against Reid Priddy and David Lee to make it to their second Main Draw in a row. Reid may have been cramping in the third set – he took a full medical timeout and then a team timeout to get maximum time off. When he returned, he still crushed some hits, but he wasn’t his full self. Ricardo and Miles played great, regardless. Evans had 15 digs and Ricardo had 10 block touches – 4 terminal and 6 controlled.
The last match of the day was FIRE. Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet pulled it out against Karissa Cook and Jace Pardon in a 3-set thriller and maybe the match of the day. Both teams played phenomenal volleyball. Sheila and Kenzie notched 37 kills while Jace and Karrisa got 38. But the heart-stopping rallies and impossible saves made this match what it was – constant entertaining. This was also a rematch of Week 1’s Monster Hydro Cup Game to Get In; that time Jace and Karissa pulled it out in 3 sets. Sheila and Kenzie sought revenge today, and they earned their spot in the last Main Draw of the year.
Every Porsche Cup Qualifying team has a different story.
Stafford Slick and Billy Allen qualified for the first and last Main Draws.
Ricardo and Miles Evans qualified for the second and third Main Draws.
Crissy Jones and Traci Callahan are the only qualifying team to earn a spot in all three Main Draws.
Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet qualify for the first time for the third Main Draw.