ST. MICHAEL – The message for the Watertown-Mayer volleyball team from head coach Andrea Raser heading into the fifth set was simple. They could either roll over or fight back.
The Royals fought back.
After watching their 2-0 lead over Maple Lake disappear, W-M needed to regroup and battle back to keep their season alive. They did just that, picking up a thrilling 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 20-25, 23-25, 15-9) win Thursday night over the Irish to advance to the Section 5AA championship game.
“It was kind of an in-your-face kind of talk,” Raser said about the talk before the fifth set. “I threw it back to the girls and it was up to them whether or not they chose to fight back and preserve and make it an unforgettable game. It was either that or just roll over and give up.”
W-M took control of the match with two impressive wins in sets one and two. Even up 2-0, the Royals knew picking up that third win wasn’t going to be easy.
“We knew it was going to be tough,” Raser said. “They’re always a tough team no matter what. When you are up two and then you lose two, you have that dreaded feeling. The biggest thing was to just get those girls to realize that they were the better team. Just go out there and fight for it. We were fighting for each other.”
With Maple Lake rallying to keep their season alive with wins in sets three and four, the Royals just needed to regroup and come together.
“We never underestimate a team, but we did kind of lose ourselves a bit in the third and fourth set though,” Libby Burns said. “We knew it was going to be a long battle and a long game. We pushed our way to the end. Everybody stepped up in the fifth set and we got it done.”
A hot start to the fifth set was the key for the Royals to turn things around. Senior Ashley Olson gave W-M a big spark when needed as she had four of her 14 kills in the final set alone.
“That girl was lights out,” Raser said. “All evening our middles did a great job. Our outsides battled but they were camping on them. Once we went to our middles, that’s what we needed.”
Olson’s big fifth set wouldn’t have been possible if it was for the show Mallory Czinano put on. The sophomore middle hitter chose the right time to have her best game of her career as she delivered when called upon for the Royals.
“That’s huge to spread out our offense,” Burns said. “Last year, Paige (Thibault) was outstanding and got most of the sets. This year, we have such a wide variety of hitters. Nobody gets more sets than one person every time. We always say we have to feed the best hitters. Everybody is such a good hitter that we can switch it up easily.”
Czinano finished with 12 kills and seven total blocks in the win for the Royals as she came through in the clutch for her team.
“My mindset was staying strong and helping my teammates as much as I can,” Czinano said. “Kate really helped me through. She made sure I stayed focused. I was a little nervous going in but it got a lot better.”
“It’s so fun to see that,” Raser added about Czinano stepping up. “Being a sophomore, she’s never been in this atmosphere before. She stepped up and did what we needed her to do.”
W-M’s young talent took a big step forward in the win. After not having a postseason a year ago, they’ve been thrown into the fire this year but are finding ways to win as a team.
“I think they’re learning,” Raser said. “They played Hutchinson at the end of the year and it was a super intense atmosphere. That helped and gave them some of that experience. Then we had two weeks of not having a game. I feel like we’re still just getting back into where we left off. We need that. This was good.”
A win in five sets will serve as a confidence booster for the Royals going forward. After winning their first postseason game in three-straight sets, W-M learned a lot about themselves in the matchup with Maple Lake.
“It gives us so much confidence,” Burns said. “Last year was unfortunate how it ended. We knew we could have made it far. I think this year, we just have a variety of great players and no player is bad. There’s not a weakness. Everybody has their own strengths and abilities and we push through to the end and play for each other.”
While Raser had a message for her team before the all-important fifth set, she also had a message for her team after the win.
“It almost seemed like they were about to give up on themselves and each other,” Raser said. “After the game, I looked at them and said never give up on yourselves again. As their coach, I know what they’re capable of. I’m not just saying that. Everybody can see what they’re capable of. For them to go out and fight and to go get it, they kind of needed that. They need to know that they can do this no matter what the score is.”
W-M will face a familiar foe once again in the Section 5AA championship match. It will be another Wright County Conference battle as the Royals will take on the Annandale Cardinals for a trip to the Class AA state tournament. That matchup will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. at STMA High School.
Follow Kip Kovar on Twitter – @Kovar_HJSports