By By STEVE MORRISON / Dowagiac Daily News
NILES – Both the Niles Viking and Dowagiac Chieftain ladies volleyball teams entered Monday evening's match, at Niles High School, each with winning records and looking to make a statement for their programs.
Fresh off capturing the Lakeshore Invitational, the Lady Vikings (now 17-5) made a solid impression, winning all three games of the match, 25-16, 25-8, and 25-9.
"The "Fierce Five" are our seniors, and they're absolutely competitive. They work together. It was a total team effort, no Prima Donnas," Niles Coach Linda Martin said about her team's effort. "Everybody just wants to win, they really practice. We have just nine players on the team; it makes it a whole lot easier to strategize," she added."We're really concerned about not coming out strong."
Come out strong, Niles did, taking an 8-3 lead in the first game, highlighted by a solid spike and diving dig from senior Nellie Coquillard.
Dowagiac reasserted itself midway through the contest. Led by Emily Primley's spikes and tips, and Tasia Diaz's sliding and diving digs, the Chiefs came back to a deficit of only 9-14. Primley and Diaz were the offensive and defensive leaders for the Chiefs all evening.
Then Niles erupted with a surge, led by seniors. an ace from Katie Bourbonnias, a spike from Patty Anton, and a quick tip from Demi Schrader put the Vikings in the driver's seat at 21-13. Schrader and Devyn Roberts combined on a stonewall block to secure a 24-16 lead, and the game concluded 25-16.
The Vikings burst out into an 8-0 lead in game two. Roberts' spike, followed by Coquillard's nifty tip and spikes from Anton and Bourbonnais sandwiched a stuff by Schrader.
After Primley's slam and Danielle Taylor's ace put the Chiefs on the scoreboard, Niles took off on a nine point unanswered streak to take command at 17-2.
A tip and an ace, in succession by Anton, quelled any chance of a Dowagiac recovery. Leading at that point 20-5, Niles was dominant, en route to a 25-8 victory.
The third game mirrored the second, as the Vikes soared ahead.
After back to back aces by Melissa Cooper ran the score to 7-2 for a Niles lead, three aces in a role by Bourbonnais made the home advantage 18-3. A sizzling spike by Ashley Allison made it 19-4, Niles.
Emily Primley's inspired spike brought back the Chiefs to make the deficit 9-24, but Niles had too much of a lead for the visitors to overcome losing the finale 25-9
Dowagiac Coach Ryan Frontczak was concerned about his team's effort.
"I'm trying with them, every day to get them to show emotion in practice. We're 12-8 right now. That's a good record, but our losses are like this (one tonight). We've got to turn that around. The first game was not a bad game. The second game we made mistakes. We were flat. We have to pick up emotion. We're a better team than that," he said.
Statistical Leaders
Kills
Patty Anton 8, Katie Bourbonnais 6, Devyn Roberts 5, Emily Primley 11
Assists
Demi Schrader 14, Melissa Cooper 7, Danielle Taylor 20
Nelli Coquillard 11, Schrader 10, Cooper 7, Tasia Diaz 14
Bourbonnais 3, Cooper 2
Blocks
Schrader 4, Anton 3, Bourbonnais 3