The odds were against Park City once again.
The fifth-game match has been somewhat of a kryptonite for the Miners volleyball team. Head coach Katie McLintock asid her team began to label it the “fifth-game curse” after losing two close matches to Bear River and Carbon.
Park City partly eradicated that curse Tuesday in a hostile environment against its biggest rival.
The Miners defeated a scrappy foe in Wasatch in fives games for their first Region 10 win of the 2010 season.
“I knew we had to win on the road,” McLintock said. “Today was a big reliever.”
A highly energetic match, Park City went up 2-1 with a chance to put the Wasps away early. However, the score tied at 20-20 in the fourth game, Wasatch scored on a couple of key blocks and went on to win, 25-21, leading to the formerly-dreaded fifth game.
“Wasatch is our rival and (we) wanted it,” McLintock said. “There’s a big difference with my team when they want it and when they don’t.”
The fifth game brought fans out of their seats with every point.
After taking a 12-9 lead, the Miners let the Wasps back into the game as a great rally turned into a point for Wasatch after a perfectly placed two-handed set shot on the Park City back line.
The Miners had been in this same position the very week before, squandering a 5-0 lead against Carbon. Park City saw itself staring at the wrong end of the momentum barrel yet again. Wasatch had come back to tie it up 14-14, and the Miners needed a response.
Enter senior Josie Karz.
The powerful outside hitter had struggled in the first couple games of the match, but found her groove as the match progressed and began racking up the kills. None was more important than the one she slammed down to make it 15-14 Park City. Karz finished with 13 kills.
A Wasatch hitter ended up sailing an attempted spike after the next serve and the Miners emerged victorious.
The curse was put on the backburner.
McLintock knows she has a gamer in Karz and relies on her in the most taxing moments.
“Josie’s doing well,” McLintock said. “She has a great vertical, she has tons of heart, she’s a senior and knows this is her last year. It comes in very handy to have her.
“If we’re down, it’s up to her to get us back.”
A huge road victory was a good lesson for McLintock’s team. She told her players they are good enough to win and that they need to stay aggressive every game of the match.
“I think they learned quickly,” McLintock said. “But like I told them, we’ve got to quit this five-game stuff.”
When asked if nerves started to creep up once Wasatch began its run, the head coach didn’t hesitate.
“Moments like that are ones I think could be dangerous,” she said. “Oddly enough, I wasn’t (stressed). I figured if I stayed calm, my girls would stay calm. I just told them to breathe.”
Park City did a good job of matching up against a team that plays a polar opposite style. Wasatch played through its athletic middle blockers, while the Miners have developed to use their outside hitters more often.
“It’s about picking out zones, picking out hits,” McLintock said.
As they’ve shown all season, the Miner defense is superb and keeps them in games. One of the team’s biggest strengths is digging, and while big hits may bring the loudest cheers from the crowd, it’s defense that keeps teams in games and gives them a shot to win.
Seniors Melissa Emerson, Amy ers and Natalia Caro were instrumental in Park City’s successful defense. Freshman Hailey Whipple commanded the middle at times and earned some key points for the Miners.
“Defense wins,” McLintock said. “Offense is fun to watch and it’s what gets the girls excited, but defense will keep you in the game.”
Ultimately, Park City proved it could win on the road in an intimidating atmosphere in an air-tight match.
“Finally,” said a jovial McLintock.
Editor’s note: The curse isn’t exactly in tact, but it’s not exactly six feet under, either. The Miners dropped a five-game match to American Leadership Academy in Spanish Fork Thursday night. Coach McLintock singled out freshman Hailey Whipple as she commanded the middle and notched seven kills on the evening. Karz finished with 19 kills on the outside and Sierra Shearer finished with eight kills and a hitting percentage of .461.
“This is a game we should have won,” McLintock said. “We play ALA again on senior night. We’ll be ready for that one.”