03-02-09 - Ichabod Crane made a run to the Section II Class B title game on Saturday where they squared off with top-seeded Cairo-Durham. The Riders came back from down 2-0 to make it 2-1 but could not come all the way back, losing to the Mustangs for the third time this season. After losing the first game 25-17, the Riders made the second game a real contest but fell 25-23. With a sweep on the horizon, the Riders forced a fourth game after a 23-25 win, but in the fourth and final game Cairo-Durham clinched their title with a 25-20 win.
ICC losses a long back and forth battle
Early on, the shorthanded Riders played a scrappy brand of volleyball to keep the match close, but they didn’t have enough firepower to gain much more than a small lead in the very beginning. Senior Devin Collins and sophomore Will Valley picked up back-to-back kills late in the first game, but that wasn’t enough to pull them even.
The Riders started the second game sloppy, and things didn’t look promising. Behind the strong serving of Lars Soderstrom, ICC fought back but struggled to close the gap. Again Collins, playing in his final varsity game, put the team on his back and picked up some big kills, but it was not enough, and the Riders fell behind 2-0.
With their quest for a title hanging in the balance, ICC fought back in the third game. Valley got the Riders going with some hot serving and put them up 7-0. As the game continued, Collins and Valley continued their strong play at the net to extend the lead. Before they could put the game away, however, the Mustangs came back and pulled within two, 12-14. Zach Karpinski finished the set strong, coming through serves. A David Winch block put the Riders within a point of winning the game at 24-21, but they were still unable to put the game away as Cairo-Durham pulled to within 24-23. The teams had a rally going that looked like both teams had a shot to put it away. A Rider spiked attempt was blocked, and as it fell toward the floor, Karpinski dove to the floor and flicked the ball back over the net, where it fell to the floor catching C-D off guard and giving the Riders the win.
ICC wins a point with a kill
The final game was a back-and-forth contest, and after a big Karpinski rip, the Riders went up 4-1. Cairo-Durham went on a run and took the lead 6-8. Collins came through with four straight service points to put the Riders back on top 10-8, but that was the best they’d do. Cairo-Durham again took control and never looked back en route to the win.
Leading the way in the loss for the Riders were seniors Collins, Karpinski, and Soderstrom. Collins ended up 17 kills and 7 service points, while Karpinski had 9 service points and 4 kills. Soderstrom ended up with 7 service points. A trio of underclassmen—Valley, Winch, and Andre Hymes—also had good games for ICC in the loss. Valley played well at the net finishing with 12 kills and 9 service points, while Winch kicked in 19 assists, 5 service points, and 3 kills. Hymes passed well from the setter position finishing with 10 assists and 8 service points.
