Second place might be just the beginning for Rams

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Scott City volleyball team just finished year one of a two-year plan.

Scott City coach Haley Jennings made a comment right before this season began that she had a good feeling about this year's team making a run at the Class 2 title.

But she added that if she and the girls were unable to win it, every player except for foreign exchange student Anna Laitinen would return next fall. So the team could evaluate what went wrong and make the proper adjustments for another run in 2009.

Jennings expressed the same optimism to her players after Hermann swept the Rams 25-23, 25-19 in the Class 2 title match Saturday at Municipal Auditorium.

"I said, 'You can only go up from here; you're No. 2, we can go up to No. 1,'" Jennings said. "We're only losing one player."

Rams players and coaches clearly were upset after losing to Hermann.

Jennings wanted revenge against Hermann, the volleyball program that beat the high school team she played on, Bernie, in the 1997 state title match. She also was upset for her players, who she said worked hard throughout the season.

"But we always do have next year to look forward to," Jennings said. "I know it is just words to them, saying it now, but I think next year they're going to be out for blood."

Scott City was playing in its first volleyball state tournament in school history.

Getting to experience the tournament, Jennings said, will only motivate her team to want to return each year.

Scott City has a young team with just one senior, four juniors and two freshmen.

"We were coming here for the first time," freshman Katie Hogan said. "We didn't know what to expect. We played hard. But we came up short. Next year we'll know what to expect. We'll know how to practice."

Jennings found some areas that her team must improve. She said Hermann was strong at placing the ball. Whenever Scott City adjusted to a certain location on the court, the Bearcats would hit to different areas. Jennings said her team must learn to adjust better.

Jennings said her team also must improve on passing when receiving strong serves, reading hitters better and staying positive throughout matches.

"Overall we got into our heads too much," Jennings said. "We'd make a mistake and then not let it go."

One problem for Scott City is that Hermann is a young team, too. Only one of its starters is a senior.

"That's going to be our goal now -- to meet them again," Jennings said.

Junior Brooke Simpson was well aware of Hermann's youth. But she said losing Saturday only will make her team want to work harder.

"It's going to be a while [to regroup from the loss], but it will just make us want the state championship more next year," Simpson said.