Cedarville Invitational: Gannon checkmates Jackets in 5 sets

By Danielle Cherry

With a brand new starting lineup and fresh off their first match and victory earlier on Friday against Missouri-St. Louis, Cedarville walked into a full evening crowd that was ready to cheer them on against Gannon on the first day of the Cedarville Invitational.

Starting with incredible momentum, the Jackets seemed headed for an obvious win, but set three changed the game. With a fight all the way to set five, Gannon won the final three sets for a 13-25, 19-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-11 victory.

This year’s Jackets lineup is mostly underclassmen, ready to prove their place on the home court. In the first set, the front row was relentless on the net, blocking every stray ball the Knights pounded down. Nothing got past Alicia Howard and Ally Pilat.

Staying consistent on the serving line — middle hitter Carly Craighead gave the team a flying start with a 10-0 lead. Keeping up the momentum off every block and hit, the team tightened around the net flattening and expanding like an accordion.

“We had the momentum, we were playing really really well in the first two sets,” said head coach Greg Smith.

But then something fell off. The confidence the Jackets had coming onto the court vanished as Gannon started picking up the hitting pace. As Cedarville fought for every point, the court became jumbled, creating some out-of-system balls that threw off the play.

“We just lost focus in the third and it just fell over,” Smith said.

Communication was lacking, balls dropped and serves were missed. The work that the Jackets had put in during the first two sets, seemed void as the Knights kept fighting relentlessly for control of the scoreboard.

As the confusion grew, the hitting percentage dropped, the Jackets hitting -.192 and Gannon with .80 in the third. While Gannon’s swings weren’t catastrophic, that drop cost the Jackets the game, fighting the whole rest of the match to bring up that number.

Despite the change in pace, the Jackets didn’t relent. With every ball hurtling toward the backrow, Alivia Rutt was there to pick it up, launching herself across the court to scoop up any garbage the Knights threw at them.

Back and forth the ball went, with a dig from Rutt to a block from Madylen Hensley. The Jackets played with a consistent flow. Regardless of the score, Cedarville held strong, continuing to fight for every point, even if it meant the ground was getting dusted.

“We made some crucial communication errors that shouldn’t have happened. And that’s just part of learning at the beginning of the season,” Smith said.

As the Jackets entered into set four, the tension in the gym was hopeful. Pilat came in swinging, scoring both in kills and in calculated tips, throwing Gannon off their feet — literally.

For every kill there was a set behind it, and Sidney Shepherd’s hands were behind every precisely executed ball. Shepherd owned the front row, blocking just as much as all the other attackers lining the net. Her second-ball tips and aggression up front gave the Jackets a tactical edge.

“I like what I see out of such a young group, so we are just trying to still figure things out,” Smith said.

Giving up the fourth set to Gannon, the disappointment was visible on the Lady Jackets entering into the fifth, but there was no lack of fighting for every point. Every ball was a turnover, staying tied all the way till the final few points with Gannon taking the victory 11-15.

The match was evenly split, with Cedarville and Gannon taking turns hitting the net on serves and handling errors. Even the attack totals and hitting percentages were mere numbers off.

So what happened?

It was a mental game that cost Cedarville, not a lack of skill or ability, but a disconnect.

The Jackets are 1-1 with the win over Missouri-St. Louis, 21-25, 28-26, 23-25, 25-19, 17-15. At 1:30 Saturday they conclude the invitational against Concordia-St. Paul.

The Jackets have a quick turnaround to consider how to best adapt. With hopes of a second win, the Jackets will strive to play more mentally consistent and be ready to reclaim their home court.

Danielle Cherry is a junior communication major and writer for Cedars Sports and Assistant Editor and writer for A&E. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and really loves it when Stinger decides to do a guitar solo.