MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Oct. 1–8)
SWC VOLLEYBALL: Richland Center 3, Platteville 2

By Steve Prestegard, The Platteville Journal

Hornets sting first-place Hillmen in five sets

RICHLAND CENTER — Most coaches and knowledgeable fans will tell you that games are not really decided on one single play, even though that may seem to be the case.

Consider what happened with Platteville and Richland Center tied 13–13 in the fifth set of their Southwest Wisconsin Conference volleyball match Oct. 1.

A big spike slammed into Richland Center libero Carley Mieden, who bumped it almost in self-defense. The spike was hit so hard that it bounced off Mieden, went back over the net, and dropped just behind the surprised Hillmen front line to put RC up 14–13.

One serve and bump out of bounds later and the Hornets, ranked 10th in Division 3, won the thriller, 19–25, 25–17, 25–13, 13–25, 15–13, to shrink the Hillmen’s lead in the SWC to one match heading into this week.

“There were a couple key momentum points that led Richland Center to winning at the end of the set,” said Hillmen coach Denise Berntgen, whose team went in able to clinch a tie for the SWC title or at worst remain in first. “We led the majority of the fifth set and the match could have went either way, but it just wasn’t our night last week.”

Platteville went up 7–4 in set 5 including a kill by Rianna Dye, forcing a Hornet timeout. RC’s Ava Cosgrove then served up four straight points including a kill by Ellavy Weiss to go up 9–7.

The Hornets went up 11–9 before the Hillmen tied the set at 11–11, 12–12 and 13–13 before the match finish.

Platteville had little trouble in set 1, leading at one point 18–8 thanks to kills by Dye and Avery Richard while hitting much better than RC until the Hornets trimmed the margin to 21–17.

The hitting that started to pick up in set 1 continued for the Hornets in sets 2 and 3, but not for the Hillmen. RC got off to a 5–0 lead in set 2 and led 12–4 and 18–10 on the way to evening the match, then opened up an early 6–2 lead in set 3 and grew that to 18–8 on the way to winning set 3.

Platteville got four straight points to take an 11–8 lead in set 4, then an ace by Clire Huser extended the lead to 14–9. Addison McNeill served up five straight points to grow that lead to 21–10, including two kills by Linnea Dye and a McNeill kill. Two more Rianna Dye kills closed out set 4 and set up the fifth set.

“As a team we don’t like to lose but looking back we did a lot of great things last week,” said Berntgen. “We are focused on cleaning up little things to keep improving our play and our ready for our next match. We are still in a good position and we are excited to keep playing one match at a time.”

Rianna Dye had 11 kills and Richard and McNeill 9 each. Soleil Ewing led Richland Center with 19 kills, while Danica Pauls had 12 kills and five of RC’s 15 aces. Berntgen had 38 assists, while Chloe Darling had 27 assists for the Hornets.

After playing Dodgeville, which is ranked ninth in Division 3, Tuesday the Hillmen close their season against Prairie du Chien next Tuesday and at River Valley Oct. 15.

“We need to clean up the little mistakes at crucial times, which I know they will do,” said Berntgen. “The girls responded well at practice last week after the loss and they are ready for a new week and working hard to reach the expectations they have set for themselves.”

Richland Center 3, Platteville 2
(from Tuesday, Oct. 1 @ Richland Center)
Platteville.............25 17 15 25 13
Richland Center...19 25 25 13 15
Platteville stat leaders 
Kills: Rianna Dye 11, Avery Richard 9, Addison McNeill 9. Blocks: Linnea Dye 7, Rianna Dye 3, Quinn Temperly 3. Assists: Jaxcyn Berntgen 38. Aces: Richard 2. Digs: Claire Huser 21, Berntgen 17, Richard 13, McNeil 12.
Richland Center stat leaders 
Kills: Soleil Ewing 19, Danica Pauls 12. Blocks: Ellavy Weiss 1. Assists: Chloe Darling 27, Ava Cosgrove 16. Aces: Pauls 5, Carley Mieden 4, Ewing 3. Digs: Pauls 23, Ewing 21, Mieden 15.