Posen?s finest volleyball effort ever

Posen volleyball has been around for a little more than a decade, but only emerged as a threat in the North Star League (NSL) three years ago. Head coach John Dietlin, who has been calling the shots longer than any volleyball coach in school history, was rewarded with a district title and a couple of conference titles. During the last three years, the Vikings have absolutely dominated the NSL, where three-game sweeps have become the ?modus operandi? for Dietlin?s squads. There were no league schools that could match Posen?s talent level during the recent run, well, that was until this season when Mio shocked the Vikings. The kids had only been in school for a week when Posen traveled to Mio for a Tuesday night contest in September. You would have thought it was Super Bowl Sunday, the way the Mio fans got behind their team that night. The Thunderbolts won the match in three. WITH HILLMAN next on the schedule, the team re-focused and won that one in four. Even though there were still about four weeks until the rematch with Mio, the build up started. In the meantime, the wins kept coming. The Vikings won 19 straight league games going into last Thursday?s much-anticipated showdown. The fans and parents were fired up and ready for what was probably the best regular season volleyball game to ever be played in Posen. I can?t remember seeing one better. The intensity level was at another level, as every point was contested. Players were throwing their bodies all over the place to make saves and digs. There also were jaw dropping plays. Senior Leanne ?Butch? Buczkowski made one when she saved a ball in the front left corner, and while she was falling down, hit the ball to senior setter Lindsay Ponik, who fed the ball right back to Butch. She quickly got back off the floor and made the kill. SENIOR LINDSEY Bartz made her share of highlight reel contributions — none bigger than in game three with the score tied at 23. Mio had set up for a perfect kill, but Bartz came up with the perfect block. The Posen crowd already was into it, but when Bartz stuffed the Mio defender, they went nuts with fist pumps and high-fives all around. Another point later and the Vikes were up in the match, 2-1. To say Posen couldn?t carry the intensity over into game four would be an understatement, as the Vikings went down early and never recovered. Mio easily won by 13 to tie the match at two games apiece. The Posen faithful hoped a break between games would help shift the moment, but Mio wasn?t ready to give it up, forcing the Vikings to play catch up the rest of the way. Posen led only twice at 12-11 and 15-14. They were one point away from putting the match away. It wasn?t meant to be, as a player who hadn?t missed a serve all night, hit it into the net to tie the score at 15. Mio would get the final two points and take the win. IT WAS a night filled with great plays by every player who got on the floor; however, I wouldn?t come close to putting the blame on one player?s shoulders. The Vikings got into position to win it as a team, and lost as a team. What can?t be lost in looking at the final result is the fact that two talented volleyball teams treated the fans to an incredible night of sports action. Nights like that don?t come along often enough, and when they do, the players deserve our appreciation for their fine effort.

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