Cobras strike quickly for crown

Hudson sweeps River Ridge for sole possession of the Sunshine Athletic Conference title.

By DEREK LaRIVIERE
Published October 13, 2006

HUDSON - Entering Thursday night's match, there was a possibility Hudson would only share the Sunshine Athletic Conference title if it lost to county rival River Ridge.

The Cobras doused that possibility from the start, coming out of the gates on a 13-0 run against the Royal Knights. That momentum was all Hudson needed on its way to a three-game sweep to clinch its first SAC crown since 2003.

"The conference title is more of a goal for the girls," Hudson coach Linda McQuade said. "They really want to take home the plaque every season."

Mary Cook was the spark plug in the first game as the Cobras outscored River Ridge 16-2 with her serving. She orchestrated Hudson's opening run, accounting for two aces during that span. Kelly Bislick added five kills as the Cobras took the opener 25-10.

The second game showed the resilience of River Ridge (18-6, 7-2 SAC).

Despite being dominated in the first game, the Royal Knights fought back behind the net play of Brittany Frey. Frey had five kills in the game, but Hudson outlasted the Knights 27-25.

The Cobras (23-2, 9-0) finished the job handily in the final game behind stellar play from two of the team's top hitters, Lara Metz and Lauren Stump.

The girls finished with six kills each in the final game, the high for any individual for any of the games. That effort gave Hudson the 25-21 edge to win the match.

Paige Lake, Metz and Bislick tied for the match high with 10 kills each. Frey led River Ridge with seven kills overall.

[Last modified October 13, 2006, 00:46:25]