Girls Volleyball: Marist gets the jump on Providence
By Tim O’Brien For Sun-Times Media September 25, 2012 10:28PM
Marist's #13, Rachel Dalton spikes a ball past Providence Catholic High School's #9, Becca Rachke, during their game at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, IL on Tuesday September 25, 2012. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times
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Updated: October 27, 2012 6:26AM
Stepping to the service line Tuesday at Providence, Marist’s Mallory Salis blocked out everything around her.
The score, the situation, the fans, all gone.
“Serving is 100 percent mental because that’s the one part of volleyball you do by yourself,” Salis said. “You go back there and it’s on you.”
Salis’ and Kelly Marcinek’s jump serving helped pick apart Providence’s defense Tuesday as Marist won 25-18, 25-20 in an East Suburban Catholic Conference match in New Lenox.
Salis (7 kills, 3 aces) and Marcinek (5 kills, 4 aces) led Marist (14-3, 3-0). Carolyn Yerkes (13 digs), Taylor Holder (11 assists), Molly Mayo (11 assists) and Elyse Panick (8 kills, 9 digs) contributed.
Falling behind 11-8 thanks to a 6-1 Providence run in the second set, Marist got the ball back after a Krista Brakauskas service error.
Marcinek’s jump serve produced three aces as part of a 6-0 spurt that helped Marist regain the lead. Given a chance with a 17-14 advantage, Salis did some damage, serving three aces.
“We had a sense of urgency,” Salis said. “They had that quick six-point run and that’s when we turned it up. We knew we had to because Providence is a very good team and they’re very capable of coming back.”
Providence didn’t go quietly, but Marist’s impressive serving provided enough of a cushion and the Celtics never got closer than three points. On match point, Marcinek put down her fourth ace for the win.
“There just wasn’t much going on for us on our side of the net,” Providence coach Rachel Ellingson said. “When we struggle passing, there’s not much you can do. The games we’ve lost have come down to passing.”
Leah Alles (7 digs), Brakauskas (4 kills, 7 assists), Becca Rachke (12 digs) and Alyssa Maloney (6 kills, 4 blocks) contributed for No. 4 Providence (16-6, 0-2).
