Mistake identity: Royals struggle to shake errors

Rosary's Karen Matic (20) struggles to set a ball that was passed too close to the net Thursday as St. Charles East's Haley Streich (5) goes up for a block. The undefeated Saints won 25-16, 25-19.
Terence Guider-Shaw/special to the beacon News

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The problem has been identified.

"We're having a lot of unforced errors we're trying to minimize," said Lindsey Weber, senior outside hitter for Rosary.

The bad news for the Royals?

Those errors helped lead to their second loss this week, 25-16, 25-19 to St. Charles East, giving them plenty of doubts as they look ahead to Monday's Suburban Catholic Conference showdown with St. Francis.

The good news?

As coach Lisa Kasper said, it's early. There's time to correct them.

"It's the same problem we've had all week, too many errors," said Kasper, whose team dropped an SCC decision to Marian Central on Monday and defeated Montini on Wednesday.

"As much as I'd like to blame our younger kids, it's our older kids. We had four missed serves tonight, three by seniors. Many of our hitting errors were by seniors. Our older kids need to step up because we are young. We have a freshman in the middle, a sophomore in the middle, a sophomore setter and a sophomore libero.

"We need our three seniors who have varsity experience to step up and they did not do that tonight. I hate to be so negative, but I think we definitely could have given them another game."

The Saints are also young, with two freshmen and two sophomores in their rotation.

Junior outside hitter Jacqui Seidel and senior setter Laura Homann stepped up big, though, on Thursday. The Saints broke a 7-7 tie in the opening game by putting together a 9-2 run that featured two kills and two blocks from the 5-foot-10-inch Seidel.

"Jacqui sets in club but she's becoming one of our stronger hitters. She's the package," said St. Charles East coach Jennie Kull, who is trying to not let herself get too carried away by the team's 9-0 start.

"I'm still thinking that we're 0-0. I'm at the point where I'm still not ready to commit to any great feats here. I'm just enjoying the way the kids are working together."

Seidel finished with a match-high 10 kills and three blocks. Junior Caroline Niski and freshman Meghan Niski added six kills each with six and five digs, respectively. Homann had 22 assists.

In the second game, Rosary pulled within 17-15 on a Kelly Hogan kill, but the Saints closed it out with an 8-4 run. That burst was capped by Seidel kill and a block from senior Taylor Gray off the bench.

"We knew they had beaten St. Francis earlier this season and we thought tonight would be a test," Weber said. "We felt we didn't perform up to expectations. We've got a lot of work (Friday) in practice."

Hogan, a senior, had four kills and junior Emily Weber added three and one block for the Royals. Senior setter Karen Matic had a team-high eight assists.

"There wasn't a lot going on on our side," said Kasper, whose team fell to 6-3. "However, it's early in the season so it's nothing to get upset about, just stuff we have to work through. We have a very tough schedule and that's the reason we play a tough schedule.

"Last year we lost in three (to St. Charles East) and came back on Monday to beat St. Francis. Maybe we can do it again." Girls Volleyball: St. Charles East Def. Rosary 25-16, 25-19