Ball sails, Sycamore prevails

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Sycamore coach Debbie Klock celebrates her team’s 25-13, 17-25, 25-23 victory against Burlington Central during a Class 3A Burlington Central Regional semifinal match Thursday night in Burlington. (Rob Winner – rwinner@daily-chronicle.com )

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BURLINGTON – There was one player in the gym that Burlington Central wanted to get the ball to.

And Sycamore libero Justine Schepler was ready for the ball to head directly toward her face off a hit from the Rockets' Stephanie Holthus.

But that ball never came. Instead, the final hit of Holthus' stellar prep career sailed long and Sycamore celebrated as they beat Burlington Central, 25-13, 17-25, 25-23, to advance to Saturday's final in the Class 2A Burlington Central Regional.

"For her to hit it out like that, as a senior, we feel for her," Sycamore coach Debbie Klock said.

The Spartans (30-6) jumped out to a big early lead and never looked back in Game 1 as they looked absolutely untouchable. They passed the ball brilliantly, mixing around which players were hitting and blocking at different spots as they kept the Rockets completely off-balance.

After falling behind in Game 2, however, they needed a jolt.

So Schepler, who had sat out the past two weeks with an ankle injury, entered the game.

In Game 3, Schepler showed how big of a difference she could make as she helped direct setter Jill Johnson and the Sycamore offense and helped them pull out the late victory.

"We have a bunch of different lineups and since that one wasn't working in Game 2, we decided to try something new," Schepler said. "It's the best feeling ever because we've been waiting for this game for so long."

The match finished with a kill from senior Stephanie Huber and then Holthus' mis-hit.

"[Huber] has been so consistent this year," Klock said.

Brittany Olson and Evyn McCoy led the Spartans with eight kills while Kate Binder had five and Huber had four. Johnson had 25 assists on the Spartans' 26 kills while Olson led the Spartans with three stuff blocks.

That even distribution of offense was the reason the Spartans started so well and it also was the reason the Rockets couldn't catch up when Sycamore made adjustments.

"I don't let any of them work in just one position," Klock said. "We move everyone around and they have to know it all."

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