Girls volleyball: Jessica Ramey, Sandwich shake off slow start, run past Plano

SANDWICH – Sandwich volleyball coach Amy Garland calls sophomore setter Jessica Ramey her team’s silent leader.

Her play, however, has spoken volumes.

[ Photos: Sandwich vs. Plano volleyball ]

Ramey, who shared setting duties as a freshman, has taken the reins this season for the Indians. And run with them.

On Tuesday, Ramey posted a double-double in assists and digs for the second consecutive night. Ramey and the Indians shook off a slow start and ran away from visiting Plano 25-21, 25-8 in the Kishwaukee River Conference match.

“She’s been a very good silent leader for us,” Garland said of Ramey. “She has come in way more confident, and she is just a good teammate that you want. She is a good teammate and a good player with a great attitude no matter how the match is going. She is always the first one cheering.

“We are thankful for her skills.”

Ramey had 16 assists and 11 digs, Kayden Corneils 10 service points and two blocks, and Londyn Scott six kills and two blocks for Sandwich (4-3, 3-0). Liza Goodbred had nine digs, four service points and put down three kills.

The Indians are already more than halfway to last year’s seven-win total.

“I think we’ve really improved, come together as a group more, and we really cheer each other good,” Ramey said. “Everyone has improved a lot from last season. It’s been a group effort.”

A group effort led by their sophomore setter who Garland has been more than happy to turn over the keys to in a 5-1 offense. Ramey, who plays club year-round for the Lions Juniors, has proven more than capable.

“She was able to hit last year, but now she has taken over a 5-1 offense and gone full throttle. That was pretty much what we ran all summer in practice, and we have stuck with it, and it’s benefiting our hitters to have more consistency,” Garland said. “As a sophomore, it’s very exciting. She has a very good future for us.”

It did take a group effort for Sandwich on Tuesday.

The Indians trailed in the first set 9-3, 13-7 and 21-20. But Sandwich scored the last five points of the first set on Corneils’ serve. The Indians never looked back.

A kill by Goodbred capped a 6-1 start in the second set. Another Goodbred kill sparked a 12-2 run to end the match.

“I feel like our energy finally kicked in,” Garland said. “We were spreading out the offense and getting everybody involved. Sometimes it takes just one spark to get our team going. Every day it seems like it’s a different spark plug, a different girl that does it for us. It was good to see that tonight.”

For Plano (2-6), Taylor Downs had three kills and four aces and April Salgado 12 digs. Rita Lauro chipped in four assists.

“Truthfully, we did not play well tonight. Our girls would acknowledge that,” Plano coach Brittany Hill said. “Our primary communicators, I didn’t hear them a lot tonight. The people that need to step up when things are down, they didn’t really step up tonight. It’s almost like we wanted good things to happen by accident.

“[Sandwich] outdid us, they were blocking, they scrapped.”