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Gilmour finishes 2ndone more time
(by Tony Lange - November 17, 2011)
Gilmour finishes 2ndone more time
TONY LANGE
Gilmour's volleyball team finished state runner-up for the third time in four years last Saturday at the Division III championship in Dayton.
Casstown's Miami East (29-1) beat the Lady Lancers (26-3) in four games with scores of 26-24, 17-25, 25-23 and 25-21. Gilmour had 18-16 leads in both the first and fourth games before the Vikings pulled off late-game triumphs.
The Lancers got beat by a better team, head coach Kelly Coughlin said.
"They were a really a good team, a good program," he said. "Their kids played hard and just made a couple more plays than we could make."
After falling behind 1-0 in a first game that went into extra points, 26-24, the Lady Lancers bounced back with a game-two equalizer, 25-17. Gilmour committed just two errors in that game.
"We felt like we were in control in game two," Coughlin said. "But in games three and four, we just never felt like we could get any separation at all. Like I said, at the end of the day, you need to get a little bit lucky and they got a little bit lucky on a couple of plays."
During the runner-up performance, 6-3 sophomore Jessica Janota tallied 19 kills, 5-8 senior Maddie Kosar had 17 kills and 6-foot senior Maria Cup had 10 kills. Kosar led the team with 29 digs, while 5-11 freshman setter Megan Polak tallied 45 assists.
After the loss, the Lady Lancers were able to settle down, relax and reflect on what they were able to accomplish, Coughlin said.
"We graduated arguably one of the best players in the state of Ohio a year ago," he said. "We still were able to make that same trip right back down to states with a first-year setter and basically a first-year middle in Jess, because she didn't play at all in states last year."
The Lady Lancers also had really big contributions from other newcomers like 5-9 freshman Josie Sheehan, Coughlin said.
"So, after the run a year ago, losing the seniors that we lost a year ago and getting right back down there to the finals with some important pieces in key places, we're pretty satisfied with what we accomplished," he said. "The girls should be very proud."
The seniors at Gilmour were a part of a program that finished state runners-up in 2008, 2010 and 2011. They were fifth in 2009.
"That's a boatload of wins," Coughlin said. "They far achieved more than most programs. They probably have a better record in the four years combined than any of the teams that have won the state title the last four years. So, they've been very successful. They've been a part of something pretty special the last couple of years."
The Gilmour program is more about what happens off the court than on the court, Coughlin said.
While most of the Lady Lancers had planned to take the four-hour car ride home from Wright State University with their parents, they decided to travel as a team on the bus once last time for the camaraderie, Coughlin said.
"I think the bonding for next year's team started on that bus ride home," he said. "I really think that all the sophomores and freshman were really coming together as a group because now their older sisters are moving on and they know it's going to be their program. I hope we can make another run like this next year, but we've got to be lucky and we've got to be healthy and we've got to stay focused."
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