Polk volleyball eliminated by Pisgah in second round of 2A playoffs
Published 7:11 pm Thursday, October 27, 2011
In a disappointing end to an outstanding season, the Lady Wolverines were eliminated Tuesday evening from the state 2A volleyball playoffs by the visiting Lady Bears of Pisgah High School in three straight games, 25-14, 25-16, and 25-17.
Head coach Heather Claussen, clearly disappointed by the team’s early exit from what was expected to be a long playoff run, gave props to the Pisgah squad.
“They served us off the court,” said Claussen, “and we just couldn’t stop their two middle hitters.”
While occasional glimpses of the play that earned the Lady Wolverines a conference championship were in evidence, Polk County was never able to put a string of points together against the visitors from Canton. On the other side of the net, the Lady Bears, led by Katie Hannah with 16 kills and Micah James with 16 digs, scored their points in bunches.
Fans of Polk County volleyball have much to look forward to next season, as Claussen’s young squad is expected to return intact, losing no seniors to graduation next year. Still, thoughts of what could have been, and perhaps should have been, linger.
“It’s a tough way to go out, losing like that,” said Claussen. “[The girls] didn’t play the way that I know that they can play, and that they know they can play.”
For the Lady Wolverines, Savannah Deaver recorded eight kills while Maggie Phipps notched six, and freshman Kara Overholt recorded 19 assists. Polk County finishes the season at 19-5, while Pisgah, now 18-5, advances to the third playoff round to square off against 17-9 North Henderson.