Miscues, Cougars down Mustangs

Mitchell drops its second game of the season to Countryside, but coach Kevin Paulk is proud of his girls' effort this time around.

By BRANDON WRIGHT
Published October 6, 2006

CLEARWATER - Mitchell coach Keith Paulk said he saw marked improvement from his team's last meeting with Countryside. The Mustangs' defense was tighter, their passing crisper and hitting stronger Thursday.

What remained the same, however, were the mistakes.

Countryside, fueled by the emotion of Senior Night and a rowdy student section, swept visiting Mitchell 25-17, 25-12, 25-23 for its second win against the Mustangs this year.

"We improved greatly from the last time we played (Countryside)," Paulk said. "It was more a case of them getting on streaks and us making silly mistakes."

Two of those streaks came during a rough second game. Countryside put together runs of 8-1 and 7-1 to win going away.

"They seemed to get all the breaks," Paulk said. "And when they got the momentum, it was hard to get back."

The Mustangs (16-5) did wrestle the momentum from the Cougars (16-3) in the third game, jumping to a 10-4 lead. But Clearwater kept chipping away and broke open a 22-all tie with a 3-1 run to end it.

"I was a little worried about focus because it was Senior Night and sometimes that tends to distract the girls," Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly said. "You definitely saw some of that in the third game, but we pulled it all together."

A bright spot for the Mustangs was Heather Zappacosta, particularly her serving. Zappacosta, primarily using a jump serve, recorded five aces.

"Her serve is impressive," Paulk said. "And she's our most ferocious hitter."

Kelli Wiedinger, Lea Weber and Zappacosta each had four kills for Mitchell. Countryside's Madison Truluck had a match-high seven kills and six blocks.

[Last modified October 5, 2006, 23:54:50]