BENTONVILLE — Conway St. Joseph put its undefeated record on the line against the wrong team Saturday at Tiger Arena.
The Lady Falcons also picked the wrong time to lose their first match as Crowley’s Ridge Academy swept them in three games 25-22, 25-17 and 25-21 to earn the Class 3A state title.
It was all Crowley’s Ridge from start to finish as the Lady Falcons (22-4) won their sixth state championship and their first since completing a run of five titles in six years in 2002.
Crowley’s Ridge Coach Randal Foshee said it took solid defense and smart net play to gain the edge and keep it against a formidable Conway St. Joseph team.
“We had to work hard from the beginning,” said Foshee, who is in her second year as coach at Crowley’s Ridge. “They’re able to rack up points quickly, so we hadto get a good lead and keep it. I told them to dig deep for every point and to not expect them to give it to us.”
Crowley’s Ridge Academy took a 4-3 lead in the first game and remained ahead the rest of the game. The Lady Falcons led throughout the second game after breaking a 10-10 tie and used an 11-0 runin the final game to take a 15-4 lead.
Senior setter/outside hitter Rachel Jetton had six aces in the first two games and took MVP honors.
“The main thing is just focus,” Jetton said. “You’ve got to focus on getting it over the net. Of course, topspin helps.
“I’m still in shock. I’ve only dreamed about this since I’ve been in high school. It hasn’t hit me yet. I’m sure tomorrow it’ll sink in.”
Although Crowley’s Ridge never trailed in the final game, Conway St. Joseph (29-1) managed one final push with six consecutive points to close within 22-20 before bowing out. Senior outside hitter Amy Schichtl had two kills for the Lady Bulldogs during their run.
Conway St. Joseph finished as the runner-up again after losing to Mansfield in the 3A final last year.
“I’ve got seven seniors and they didn’t want to give up, bottom line,” Conway St. Joseph Coach Luke Davis said. “They basically psyched themselves out. They wanted it so bad, they put so much pressure on themselves, and it didn’t work out.
“When you get here two years in a row and fall short, it’s tough.”
Sports, Pages 32 on 10/31/2010