[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...;ArticleID=6209

FOUR-PEAT!!!!
Marquette wins fourth consecutive state championship and seventh in last nine years

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

MUNCIE, Ind. - Familar opponent, an even more familiar result.

Marquette's volleyball program added yet another piece of state hardware to its already impressive collection, making quick work of Loogootee 25-14, 25-15, 25-13 to claim the Class A state championship Saturday at Ball State University's Worthen Arena. It was Marquette's fourth consecutive state title and seventh in the last nine seasons.

"Four in four years, no one's done that at Marquette yet, as great as we've been," Campbell said. "It's so tough to do. It's a testament to how hard these girls have worked over these four years.

"I haven't made it easy. I've pushed them constantly, and I think it's paid off."

It was the third consecutive season that ended with Marquette beating Loogootee for the state title, although this one came a bit easier. In 2006, the Blazers trailed the Lions 2-1 in the match and 24-21 in the fourth game before rallying for an improbable victory.

"We're a good team with a lot of talented players," Marquette sophomore Brianna Gannon said. "We wanted it so bad, we just had the attitude of dominating."

The Blazers survived a small scare from Lafayette Central Catholic in the morning semifinal, winning 25-11, 22-25, 25-15, 25-23.

In the final, it was all Blazers right from the start. Loogootee had a short break in between the semifinal and final, surviving a five-game war with Morristown.

Whether the Lions were tired or not, the Blazers made sure not to let them into the match. A 4-0 run early in Game 1, with two kills from Amber Cerrillos, a block-kill from Gannon and an Ashley Edmond ace, gave the Blazers a 10-4 lead, and the gap never closed smaller than four the rest of the way. A Loogootee hitting error gave Marquette the quick 1-0 lead.

"Hope is a funny thing," Campbell said, emphasizing the importance of his team's fast start. "You give someone a little bit of hope and suddenly they're making digs they wouldn't normally make and making plays they wouldn't normally make."

Campbell's crew was a bit slower to start in Game 2, as Loogootee had a lead as late as 9-8. But Marquette won eight of the next nine points with three aces from Edmond and two kills apiece from Gannon and Cerrillos, taking a 16-10 lead and never looking back.

Edmond finished the match with 23 kills, giving her a healthy 553 for the season.

"All I know is I was very prepared for this," Edmond said. "I just went out there and played my hardest. I knew it was the last year for the seniors, so why not make it amazing for them."

Campbell added, "She's an attacker, and (her success) couldn't happen to a better girl. She's a fantastic kid and a great teammate. We're lucky to have her as a part of this team."

An anti-climactic third game ended in an anti-climactic way. After a scrum near the net, a whistle blew. The arena fell silent awaiting the officials' signal. He pointed toward the Blazers, setting off yet another state championship celebration.

"I mean, it's just tradition," said senior setter Ashley Pinkney, who had 35 assists in her final match. "It feels right. This is what was supposed to happen. We worked the hardest, we wanted it more. It turned out perfect."

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[RexKickass]

When I was at MHS in the early 90s, our Girls Golf team went to state. It was the first time in 100+ years that the school ever got past the Regionals.

[Southsider2k12]

BTW, I had to laugh at the soundback section with the person trying to diminish the accomplishments of the girls team on the title. Who cares what division they are in? Being better than every single other team isn't easy. Congrats to the Champs!


http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=48288.79

Rally Welcomes Volleyball Team Home
MICHIGAN CITY - If it's possible to describe state championships as routine, then Marquette Catholic High School is making them so.

On Sunday, in what is becoming an annual event in the city, the Blazers volleyball team received a police and fire department escort - with lights flashing and sirens blaring - from Patriot Park up Franklin Street to the high school to celebrate their fourth consecutive Class A championship and seventh in the past nine years.

The Blazers defeated Lafayette Central Catholic and Loogootee at Ball State University's Worthen Arena to cap a 33-7 season.

After a brief rally inside the Scholl Center, about the only problem with Marquette's seventh state volleyball championship win was a discussion by some parents on where to hang the new banner. The north wall of the Scholl Center is getting crowded. There are six state championship and two runner-up banners now. Making room for a ninth banner is the kind of problem any school would like to have.

Coach Troy Campbell smiled at the dilemma.

"It gets harder each year," he said. "We were expected to win. Last year was different because no one expected us to win because we were so young. We're still young this year, but people expected a lot from us."

Campbell thanked his players, coaches, school administrators, parents and the student body for the support given the team this year.

"I watched most of the games Saturday, and I have to say that our student section was the best student section," he said. "It was enthusiastic, and they were having fun.

"We won and it was awesome. We played the game the right way. I want to thank the Marquette community as a whole for their support. I have to say the closest members of my family are right here in this room."

Principal John Albert said he never experienced an athletic atmosphere like that surrounding the volleyball championship until he started at Marquette two years ago.

"People around the state know who we are," he said. "I wouldn't say they were cheering against us, but the rest of the field certainly wasn't cheering for us."

The championships also have meant respect for what Marquette has accomplished, and Albert hopes that 20 years from now, the girls on this team remember they enjoyed themselves, and that they were able to accomplish something by working together.

And the Blazers could accomplish more in the coming year. There are only three seniors on the team. One, Katie Krueger, said, "We worked long hours for this and we got it done. We knew coming in we were going to win."

The other seniors on the team are Ashley Pinkney and Emily Komasinski.

For mom Kim Cerrillos, this was her fifth trip to the state finals - older daughter Tiffany was on last year's championship team - and she hopes to make two more trips with younger daughter Amber Cerrillos, a sophomore.

"Every one of the trips has been exciting," Kim Cerrillos said. "We know they work very hard at what they do, but it's also one big family."

The night before the championship, she said the Rev. Terrance Chase said Mass for the team and the girls took care of all the singing.

"It's things like that you remember," Cerrillos said.

After holding the championship trophy over his head, Campbell talked about the pressure of winning four championships in a row.

"Because we're expected to win," he said, "it's the kind of pressure we want."

It's also the kind of pressure many other teams in Indiana would like to experience.



Contact Rick A. Richards at news@thenewsdispatch.com.