Oct. 28-Nov.10, 2013www.lcc.edu/lookout

SPORTS8

Spikers look to future after season finale

Harriers hit stride heading into regionals

Richard SchenckSports Editor

The goal of every team, no matter the sport, is to reach the post-season with hopes of making a deep run.

The LCC volleyball team’s post-season hopes were grounded Oct. 22 when it lost to Jackson Community College at LCC, 25-20, 25-19, 14-25, 25-19. The loss eliminated the Stars from post-season play.

After a pregame ceremony, the sophomores’ last game in the Gannon Gym was valiantly fought, but in the end came up short.

It was back and forth most of the night with each team taking leads be-tween three and eight points before seeing their opponents cut the lead. Midway through each set there were extraordinary volleys between the teams. LCC saw early leads dwindle and eventually get surpassed late in the sets.

LCC freshman Michaela Miller led the team with 14 digs. Freshman Ashleigh Carr led the Stars with eight kills, followed by freshman Nicole Wahrer and sophomore Carly Darrow with six kills apiece.

After the match LCC Coach Emily

Quintero talked about the steps that will be taken to ensure more success for 2014.

“We’ll look to get a strong base and continue to grow,” Quintero said. “We learned a lot this year and we will con-tinue to pursue it.”

The LCC volleyball team will have the benefit of experience next season, losing only four sophomores for next year’s squad.

LCC freshman and Rudyard High School alum Kayla Coffey explained that even though the night was not as successful as planned, the team still fought valiantly.

“We were going pretty hard,” said Coffey. “Our third game was a win, so we went in with our head held high. The four sophomores really put it all on the court and did everything they could.”

With a new coach and young team, growing pains were to be expected for LCC this season. According to Coffey, this year has served as a springboard for better things to come in 2014.

“Obviously we’ve learned from this last season,” Coffey said. “We are go-ing to improve, work harder and be a better team.”

Richard SchenckSports Editor

The 2013 cross country regular season came to end for both the LCC men’s and women’s team at the Jayhawk Invitational in Muskegon on Oct. 11.

Both LCC teams finished high in the final standings. The men finished second overall to Grand Valley State. The Lady Stars were victorious, with Hope College com-ing in second.

Sophomore Joe Marrah continued his top-flight run-ning in the men’s race, finishing first for LCC in seventh place out of 109 runners with a time of 26:16. Sophomore Grant Webber was the second LCC finisher, in 13th place with a time of 26:36.

In the women’s race, sophomore Viviana Alamillo led the victorious Lady Stars with a fifth-place finish out of 78 runners with a time of 19:40. Freshman Allison Dible was second for LCC, in sixth place, with a time of 19:48.

“We did great,” LCC Head Coach Chuck Block said. “I think we are ready (for the regional tournament). I was very happy with the way we ran.”

Block opted to not have his teams compete in the East-ern Michigan University Classic on Oct. 18 so they could concentrate all their energy preparing for the NJCAA Re-gion XII Meet on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Grand Woods Park.

“We had an awesome workout at Grand Woods,”

Block said. “We ran a ladder up to two miles. It was kind of like a two-mile time trial, and then we went back down from two miles.”

History was on the side of both LCC teams heading into the Oct 26 regional. The men have won the Region XII Meet every year since 1996 and the women have only lost twice in the same span.

LCC freshman and Cadillac native Trevor Holmes said the pressure of past success will not be a hindrance to the men’s side.

“We are pretty deep,” said Holmes. “No matter what happens I feel like if somebody has a bad race we have enough people to pick it up and do well.”

Fellow LCC freshman Alyssa Abendroth said she is well aware of the success the women have had in this race, and how a lack in team size might be unique challenge.

“I think we have a little pressure,” said Abendroth. “I feel like if you think about the pressure too much it ruins the mental mindset. But our top five girls are way up there in the region.”

The Region XII Meet will be crucial as Block will only be able to take his top seven runners from each team to the NJCAA Championships at Iowa Central CC on Nov. 9.

“With the guys, there are a couple spots open and for the women there is one spot open,” said Block. “With the regional meet we look to win it. It’s really the big goal of the year.”

Above, LCC’s Mariah Jackson and Carly Darrow block a ball against Jackson Community College on Oct. 22 in the LCC Gannon Gym. At right, Nicole Wahrer leaps high to return a volley against JCC. Photos by Suzanna Powers

File photo by Ike LeaGrant Webber was the second LCC to finish Oct. 11.