Strong second-set effort not enough as Cornerstone Christian ends Woodland’s season

FLANAGAN – The Woodland girls volleyball team wasn’t happy with its opening-set effort against Cornerstone Christian Academy in Wednesday’s late semifinal of the Class 1A Flanagan-Cornell Regional, much less the result.

In the second set, the Warriors played much more like the team that won 18 regular-season matches and finished third in a stacked Tri-County Conference. That led to a much better result, though not quite a winning one as fifth-seeded Woodland fell in straight sets to the third-seeded Cyclones 25-13, 25-22.

“The second set was phenomenal,” Woodland coach Michelle Pitte said. “They wanted that second set. They knew they had to get that second one to get to a third one – and they almost did it – but they gave everything they had. I wish they would’ve given a little bit more in the first one, but we had some nerves and anxiety in that first one.

“But it is what it is. I’ll take this. They played their hearts out every single game the entire season. We can’t ask, really, for much more.”

Woodland finishes the season 19-12.

Cornerstone Christian, now 31-5, moved on to Thursday’s championship against sub-sectional No. 2 seed Lexington, which defeated Dwight in straight sets in Wednesday’s early semifinal.

The opening set got off to a bad start for the Warriors – Cornerstone Christian scoring the night’s initial five points – and didn’t get a whole lot better. Relentlessly attacking from the left side while selling out on blocking Woodland’s dynamic middle duo of senior Malayna Pitte and sophomore Grace Longmire, the Cyclones never had their lead trimmed below three points on their way to the 25-13 victory.

The Warriors needed to regroup.

They did.

While Woodland’s early second-set advantage built on a Malayna Pitte kill and rare setter block from Ella Derossett quickly evaporated, the Warriors stuck with the Cyclones point-for-point and made things much less easy on the opening-set victors. A 9-6 Woodland lead was built on the service of libero Jaylei Leininger, whose defensive work in the back row was a huge factor in the sudden spark.

“I think we just realized how bad we wanted it,” Leininger, a junior, said of Woodland’s stronger second-set effort. “This was our last go with our seniors, and we wanted it bad for them. All it was about was one more game. ...

“But I’m happy with the season. A lot of younger girls had to step up this year, and we did the best that we possibly could. It was great.”

An 18-17 Woodland lead followed, the go-ahead point scored when defensive specialist Gracie Milligan dove for a hard Cornerstone hit in one back corner and her line-drive dig/kill went over the net and found the floor in the opposite corner.

Five consecutive Cyclones points started by a thunderous Elizabeth Henard kill, however, put Cornerstone Christian back ahead and in range of finishing the sweep. A Carsyn Witt kill that pinballed off the arms of Woodland’s blockers to the floor ended the match and the Warriors’ season.

“They played really well that second set,” Cornerstone Christian coach Jeff Morin said of Woodland. “They have two really good middles, and they dug a lot better than they did in the first set. They dug a lot of balls that I thought were going to be down, but they got them up.

“We had to improve our serve-receive. We kind of slacked off in that second set ... but when we cleaned that up, we were able to power through, and our hitters were able to get some better swings.”

Henard’s nine kills along with eight from fellow outside hitter Kate Hancock led the power-based Cornerstone attack. Witt’s match-ending kill was only her second of the night, with the senior making a larger impact with her four stuff blocks in the middle.

Primary hitter Malayna Pitte (six kills, one block), setter Derossett (12 digs) and Gabby Jacobs (seven digs, two kills) all shined in their high school finale. Longmire added five kills and a pair of blocks, with Leininger finishing with a match-best 12 digs.