Indians crash Reapers' party

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PLANO -- In a match that seemed destined to go down to the wire, the big serve of Taylor Anderson and the power game of Sarah Crothers led Sandwich to a 22-25, 25-19, 25-19 victory over Route 34 rival Plano on Thursday.

In winning both matches this season against the Reapers, Sandwich put a damper on Plano's senior night and improved to 7-15 overall and 2-6 in the Interstate Eight Conference.

Anderson had a pair of aces, her fifth and sixth of the match, to help propel the Indians from a 12-12 tie to a 16-12 lead in the final game. Plano could not come within three points the rest of the way.

"Our serve receive let down in the third game," Plano coach Lisa Esmond said. "On senior night, you expect your seniors to step up. I hate to say they didn't, but that's what happened."

Before the decisive surge, the third game saw five ties and four lead changes as both teams struggled to keep the ball in play and avoid errors. Anderson (10 kills, six blocks) simply took over the offensive attack for Sandwich.

The junior middle hitter had registered a kill and she found an opening in the back corner just before her two aces. Crothers (10 kills) scored on a pair of kills and a dink to widen the lead to 20-14. Then Anderson put down a kill and a dink to blunt Plano's late comeback before Jordan Ramos' block sealed the Indians victory.

"I changed the players in the second game, since we hadn't practiced too much with the rotation we used in the first game," Sandwich coach Mindy Davidson said. "We moved a lot better after the first game, when I don't think we were there mentally. I was proud of the way we came back after losing the first game."

For the Reapers, it was a matter of finishing strong, and they had a chance to end the match in two games after an ace by Katelyn DeBolt (five aces for the match) gave Plano an 18-17 lead. But Sandwich responded with five straight points -- two on Anderson aces -- to grab the momentum and force a third game.

"Volleyball is a game of momentum," Esmond said. "I can't figure out where the heart is (for the Reapers players). It burns me up when you don't want to hit the floor or you don't want to touch the ball. Hoping for (a win) is one thing and working for it is another. But I will say that we gave Sandwich a much better game than we did last time."

Plano (5-18, 0-7) won the first game with help from Sandwich errors. DeBolt (five kills, five digs) and Lauren Konop (four digs) both had a block and kill in the opener for the Reapers.

Sophomore Hannah Moody led the Reapers with eight kills.