Lady Lakers hope third time is the charm at regional

The Shakamak High School volleyball team can't hide their emotion after winning a third consecutive Class A Sectional last week. The Lady Lakers will play at 11 a.m. Saturday in the first match of the South Decatur Regional. (By Rick Curl/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

If three times is a charm, then the Shakamak Lady Lakers should find themselves in the championship match of Saturday's Indiana High School Athletic Association Class A Regional at South Decatur High School in Greensburg. Or at least that's what eighth-year coach Jeri Morin and her team hopes.

"It's been frustrating," Morin said. "I think we focus so much on sectionals that I think we've been just satisfied after that and whatever happens."

Last Saturday's sectional championship match victory over Clay City marks the third time in as many years the Lady Lakers have earned a berth in the regional -- and Morin and her players hope it doesn't mark the third time they come home early in the day.

"It's been disappointing," senior setter Amanda Gilbert said. "We've been creamed both times. But we're playing somebody different so maybe we'll have better luck."

In their previous two trips Indianapolis Lutheran has ended the Lady Lakers' season in straight sets.

Last year it was by a 25-17, 25-3, 25-14 tally and the season before that by a 25-16, 25-21, 25-15 margin.

"This year they're in the mindset of all right, let's take it a step further," Morin said. "It's been frustrating the last couple of years. But you walk away upset, yes some. But not entirely because of the reward they got by getting there."

This time around they won't have to face the Lady Saints -- at least in the first round. Instead they square off against the Edinburgh Lady Lancers, a team making their first appearance in the regional in the 36 year history of the tournament, something Morin hopes to use to her team's advantage.

"I told them these girls have never set foot on the gym floor that you're going to be stepping on," Morin said. "This is the third time some of them are going to be stepping on it."

It's a point that isn't lost among the players according to Gilbert who says they're fully aware of what it's like to be in that position.

"They're like we were two years ago," Gilbert said. "I think we were just happy enough to have won sectionals and didn't expect anymore."

That train of thought is something Morin wants to see her team use to keep themselves on the right track -- and something she hopes will be a weakness in the Lady Lancers they can exploit.

"Right there they should be more at ease," she said. "For Edinburgh this is their first time coming in. I told them to take some of that experience and play like they've been there before."

Regardless of what happens Saturday morning, Gilbert believes her and fellow seniors Kathleen Gilreath, Stacey Durham and Marki Collins have all left a positive mark on the Shakamak volleyball program, a mark that will likely be indelible for at least a couple of generations to come.

"I think a lot of girls look up to us," Gilbert said. "Hopefully they'll learn some things and they'll be successful in the future when we're not here."

As for the mood of the team going into this weekend's tournament, both player and coach agree the mood is good and the hopes are high.

"We're pretty focused and determined to make it past the first game," Gilbert said. "That's been one of our major goals."

Morin says she's been trying to use the fact the Lady Lakers have never won a set beyond the sectional as motivation.

"We have yet to win a set in the regional, so I just want them to go and give a hundred percent and try to get that win in the first game," Morin said. "I don't want them concentrating on the championship, I want them to go and try and beat Edinburgh and execute on them instead of the whole big picture."

Shakamak won't go into Saturday's match blind. Morin has been in contact with a couple of the Lady Lancers' opposing coaches and has an idea of what to expect from them.

"I've heard really good things about them," Morin said. "They're really good defensively as a team. Plus they've played a lot of club ball, so I'm sure they mesh well together."

She also says they have solid play up front. But all of the information she's received comes with an obvious caveat.

"You don't know anything until you get there and see what they actually can do," Morin said. "We're going to work on our strongest points to make them stronger and our weakest points to make them better."

In order to give her players an idea of what kind of volleyball the Lady Lancers play, Morin has compared them to a team the Lady Lakers defeated earlier in the campaign.

"I would compare Edinburgh to Rockville and we beat Rockville," Morin said. "I was trying to give them some incentive."

Both Edinburgh and the Lady Rox sport comparable records. Edinburgh is 28-6 and Rockville has lost four matches.

"I told them Rockville has lost four games and you're one of those four," Morin said. "That's kind of an incentive that they can beat really good teams."

She takes that analysis a step further and reflects back on the sectional title contest against Clay City, another team Morin considers to be very good.

"Clay City was probably one of the hardest hitting teams we've faced all year," she said. "So right there, whatever they put their minds to and stay focused, they can get accomplished."

Saturday's second semifinal pits the Lady Saints (18-16), who return to the regional field looking for a repeat trip to the state finals, against the Rising Sun Lady Risers (27-7) who are looking for their third finals appearance.

It's the sixth trip to the regional for Lutheran and the 14th time for the Lady Risers.

Despite the two previous losses at the regional, Morin still believes her team can earn a trip to Muncie and the state finals on November 7.

"I think anything's within reach because volleyball's such a momentum sport," she said. "And we've showed it a lot of times this year -- how much momentum that we can have. So I think it's within our reach."

The Lady Lakers' battle for their first regional title gets underway at 11 a.m. with the match between Rising Sun and Lutheran to follow.

The championship match is slated for 7 p.m. with a trip to Ball State University's Worthen Arena on the line.

"I just want to leave it all on the court," Gilbert said. "Just give it your all."

Doors will open in the South Decatur gym at 10:15 a.m. with admission prices of $5 for a single session and $8 for both sessions.