SILOAM SPRINGS — A jazzed up crowd got its money's worth here Tuesday night.
And though a 5A-West Conference volleyball win was the only thing at stake between rivals Greenwood and Siloam Springs, the matchup had a postseasonlike intensity.
Five-time defending state champion Siloam Springs camealive in the final two games of the match and rallied pastGreenwood 3-2 in a showcase of state championship contenders at the Panther Pit.
Allie Wade's kill off the right side finished the 25-23, 24-26, 22-25, 25-22, 15-8 victory.
"I tell you what, it was a fight," said longtime Lady Panthers coach Rose Cheek. "We knew itwas going to be."
Junior middle Lizzy Briones led SIloam Springs (18-2, 6-0) with 17 kills, five block assists and three solo blocks, including a block to give the Lady Panthers match point. Senior setter/hitter Hannah Allison, a Texas commitment, finished with 13 kills and 31 assists.
Cheek said Allison - and a good many of her players- played tight for much of the match. Before Game 5, Cheek told Allison, who's the team captain, to loosen up and have fun and she and her teammates responded with the only lopsided game of the match.
Briones started with three quick kills and Allison killed three more as the Lady Panthers took a 10-5 lead. Wade then scored four of Siloam Springs' next five points to end the match.
"I was shocked," Cheek said. "As tight as they had been playing, I just knew they were going to play tight throughout. There's a lot of pressure on them."
Cheek said the pressure, no doubt stems from the six state title banners hanging from the walls of the arena.
Greenwood (11-5, 5-1) is no stranger to those accomplishments either. The Lady Bulldogs have been the Lady Panthers' victim in the state title game the last three seasons.
Lady Bulldogs head coach Jennifer Golden was proud of the way her team responded after losing Game 1. Siloam Springs took 12-6 and 14-6 leads in Games 3 and 4, respectively, but each time Greenwood rallied to win.
Senior hitter Jill Barretthad 17 kills and junior Hayley Allen had 11 in leading the Lady Bulldogs' charge.
"You know they're going to fight; they're in their home gym," Golden said. "You know we're going to fight. It's a good rivalry. It was a fun game. I told my girls just to go out there and fight as hard as we can."
Haley Townsend had 23 digs to lead Greenwood defensively while Keeley Treece had four blocks and Sage Risley had four aces.
Wade chipped in 11 kills for Siloam Springs while Staci Williamson had eight kills. Laken Grigg had 21 assists.
"Honestly I felt like theyout-dug us," Cheek said. "They didn't let hardly anything hit the floor. We were fortunate enough to come away with that win. It was an ugly win. We'll take it. Boy, I tell you what, we've got a lot of room for improvement."
NOTES: It was teacher appreciation night at the Panther Pit. Cheek's special honoree was former Harrison volleyball coach Judy Lewis, who coached at Harrison from 1981-1987 and from 1994-2002. The Lady Goblins won the state championship in 2000 and finished as state runner-up to Siloam Springs in 2001.
Sports, Pages 10, 11 on 09/23/2009