MIDDLETOWN — In a match that could have gone either way, the Kelseyville Knights withstood the pressure of a packed Middletown gym to beat the Mustangs 30-28, 25-20, 25-23 and clinch the outright North Central League I North volleyball championship on Tuesday night.
Despite falling behind 8-1 in the first game, Kelseyville rallied to beat the Mustangs (6-2) in the minimum three games. But it wasn”t easy.
“Middletown has a great team,” Kelseyville coach Donelle McCallister said. “We had to fight for every point.”
The Knights ran the table in the NCL I North in McCallister”s first season as head coach, finishing 8-0. McCallister said she couldn”t have done it without former Kelseyville coach Larry Bresso, now an assistant with the Knights.
“When we were down 8-1 in the first game, he told me not to call a timeout,” McCallister said. “He told me you”ve got to let them settle into it and let them work their way out of it.”
A rooter”s bus of Kelseyville fans didn”t arrive at the Middletown gym until after the match had started, according to McCallister, but they showed up when the Knights needed them most.
“They walked in and we were down 8-1 in that first game,” McCallister said. “You couldn”t even hear in that gym … it was like a college game and it was fun.”
Kaitlyn Goff”s 10 kills led the Knights and the senior also contributed six kills. Kendra Schwegerl added five kills and Maille McCallister, daughter of the coach, had a team-best seven digs as well as two blocks.
“I have to give it to her, that was her best setting game,” McCallister said of her daughter.
Although the two teams are alike in many ways, according to McCallister, the Kelseyville coach said that while Middletown may have an edge at middle hitter, the Knights are “a little stronger” on the outside.
Now that she”s won a league title in her first season, McCallister joked, “It”s time to get out of the volleyball business. No, I”m not. I love it too much.”
Kayla Wood”s 16 kills and four blocks led Middletown and Kelsey Guzman had 10 kills and two blocks.
“Yeah, it was a great match,” Middletown coach Jennifer Breiner said. “They”re a good team, we”re a good team ? I really don”t see much difference.”
Though the Mustangs were hopeful of a win and a share of the league title, Breiner said her players have no reason to hang their heads.
“I”m proud of them, of the way they played,” she said. “It”s the best Middletown team we”ve had in years.”
If there was one area that separated the two teams on Tuesday, Breiner said it was blocking.
“We did not have a lot of blocking and that killed us,” she said.
Jenny McGee had 21 ass-ists, two blocks and three kills for the Mustangs, who could apply for an at-large berth Sunday into the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs, which begin next week.
Middletown”s scheduled league and regular-season finale Thursday at home against Lower Lake has been forfeited by the Trojans (see story, this page). Middletown”s junior varsity squad will play Lower Lake Thursday at 5 p.m.
