Wednesday, May 17, 2000
L-L VOLLEYBALL
Intelligencer Journal
You could tell by the exhausted grin on his face that Nate Wertsch was happy, but not satisfied.
Warwick's senior outside hitter had _ at times single-handedly _ just lifted his team to an undefeated first round in Pool B of the L-L League boys' volleyball tournament Tuesday at Manheim Township.
He had just finished racking up 42 kills in Warwick's three matches, including 17 in a three-game marathon win over Garden Spot, 12-15, 16-14, 15-2 _ a comeback that never would have happened without him.
"I knew we weren't out of it," Wertsch said, despite the fact that Spot had drubbed Warwick earlier this season in two quick games. "I knew we'd go a third game. They're a really good team, they won Section Two and it was great to beat them."
What makes Wertsch so special is that when he says his team is not out of it, he goes out and plays that way. That, in turn, brings the rest of the squad right up there with him, and that's just what happened Tuesday.
"I'm proud of all the guys," he said. "We've picked it up. We've learned to play with each other a little better, knowing what each person likes to do, and we've put all that together."
After a 15-8, 15-7 win over Elizabethtown to open the evening, and the win over Garden Spot, Warwick met section rival Manheim Township. Both teams were 2-0 and assured a spot in Thursday's semifinals.
Township came out quickly and had the Warriors back on their heels at 14-9 only to squander five game points. Warwick planted its feet firmly and scored 22 of the next 27 points.
"We relaxed just a little, but it was enough for them to come back on us," Township coach Bob Kennedy said.
Another mark of a mature _ if not very good _ team.
"We were just hoping to get out," Wertsch said. "We owed these teams some big payback. We started off slow, but really came back. It was a great victory."
"Nate Wertsch is the team," Kennedy said. "He jump serves, comes in from anywhere on the court, sets the ball. We tried to put our biggest blocks up there."
Kennedy rotated middle Drew Keller in much more than usual to try and neutralize Wertsch up front. Wertsch responded with his best game of the day, hitting through every block.
In Pool A at Cedar Crest, Hempfield lost just 13 points in three easy wins over Cocalico, Crest and Lancaster Mennonite _ but that wasn't the story.
Cocalico, the second-place team out of a weaker Section Two, beat Cedar Crest, the Section One co-runner-up, 16-14, 12-15, 15-12. That clinches a District Three playoff berth for the Eagles, who will face Warwick in one L-L semi Thursday night at Ephrata Middle School. Hempfield takes on Township in the other. Both matches begin at 6:30 p.m.
Cedar Crest now must face Section Two champ Garden Spot in the district qualifier for the fifth and final spot from the L-L. That match is 5 p.m. Thursday, also in Ephrata.
The championship and third-place matches are slated for 8 p.m.
About the time Nate Wertsch figures to be finishing what he started.