Crusaders get shot at first volleyball district crown

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Saxony Lutheran Crusaders never have claimed a district title in volleyball.

They'll get their chance today.

The third-seeded Crusaders held on to defeat the defending district champion and second-seeded Woodland Cardinals 26-24, 25-18 on Monday in a Class 2 District 2 semifinal at Bloomfield High School.

"I knew that we would play hard, and I knew it would be a good matchup between us," Saxony coach Julie Brandmeyer said. "... [A district championship] is one of our big goals this season, and we're really excited to have that opportunity to be in that championship match."

The win sent Saxony (16-14-5) to today's championship game against the top-seeded Bloomfield Wildcats, who cruised past fourth-seeded Puxico 25-13, 25-17 in Monday's first semifinal.

Brandmeyer said she was pleased with her team's ability to be aggressive in the beginning and play dominant defense.

"Woodland's got some bangers, and we were able to stop some of those line shots," Brandmeyer said. "We did a good job of reading their tips and their roll shots."

The first set was a back-and-forth affair that featured 11 ties and five lead changes. The Crusaders took the lead at 23-22 before Woodland (15-15-1) fought back to tie the game at 24-24.

Saxony Lutheran’s Raegan Wieser spikes over Woodland’s Shelby Sawyer during the first set of their Class 2 District 2 semifinal Monday in Bloomfield, Missouri.The Crusaders won 26-24, 25-18 to reach today’s championship match against host Bloomfield. (Fred Lynch)

"With all those lead changes, I wasn't certain how that first set would end," Brandmeyer said. "I expected tonight to go to three [sets]."

Junior Jordan Hecht recorded the go-ahead kill for the Crusaders and closed out the game with a service point to give Saxony the victory in the first set.

The Crusaders were 2-1 in three previous meetings this season against Woodland.

"It felt really good. We definitely gained the momentum. We just pulled it together and played as a team," Hecht said. "We've lost previously to them, so it was a big win for us."

Thanks to five service points from senior Nichole Mobley, the Crusaders jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the second set. The Cardinals quickly countered with five service points from sophomore Vanessa Wiseman to take a 6-5 lead.

"I knew serve/receive was going to be our big issue, and I knew that if our girls didn't play every point hard then it was going to be difficult to beat them," Woodland coach Kacie Patton said about her team, which graduates only one senior. "Next year, I hope they come out ready to play."

The second set had all the makings of the first early on, but an ace from senior Abby Bergman put the Crusaders ahead for good at 9-8. Saxony led by as many as eight points in the second set.

Brandmeyer said her team employed a new strategy toward the end of the season to serve between two passers. She said her servers hit 80-90 percent of their spots.

Woodland's Vanessa Wiseman bumps the ball against Saxony Lutheran as Mackenzie Altenthal looks on during the first set of their Class 2 District 2 semifinal Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 in Bloomfield, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

"We really kind of took ownership of it and ran with it, and I think it really helped to keep them out of their system and out of their offense," Brandmeyer said. "... I can't tell you how many times I was like, 'Hey, that's a good serve,' or 'Hey, that was a good ball.' They just had that courage to come out and play hard."

Junior Raegan Wieser led Saxony with 10 kills, six digs and two blocks. Mobley finished with a team-high four aces, while Bergman added three aces and eight digs. Hecht tallied five kills and two blocks for the Crusaders, and junior setter Brianna Mueller contributed 15 assists and five digs.

"We have pretty good team chemistry," Brandmeyer said. "We talk a lot about being a good teammate. That's the No. 1 expectation for us. We're going to do it together. We're going to look each other in the eye and give each other confidence.

"We're going to work as a unit."

Woodland was led by junior Lexie King, who had seven kills and 13 digs. Freshman teammate Krista Rhodes had five kills and eight digs, while sophomore Wiseman contributed 12 assists. Junior Chelsea Cureton added six digs, and freshman Mackenzie Altenthal had four blocks for the Cardinals, who defeated seventh-seeded Charleston 25-9, 25-19 in a quarterfinal earlier in the day.

"We were up and down a lot this year, but we also have a lot of talent," Patton said. "I think with maturity on the court, you'll see a totally different team with years to come."

Although her team has yet to play against Bloomfield this season, Brandmeyer knows the key to getting past the Wildcats is finding a way to slow down seniors Lindsey Young and Chelsea Delay.

"We're excited," Brandmeyer said about today's championship game. "... We have not played against them this year, but I saw them today and I was impressed. I know it will be a big night of volleyball."