Jay falls to Giants in sectional final (05/27/03)

MARION — Jay County made the Marion Giants sweat.

But, it still didn’t have enough to take a regular-season, 5-0 loss and flip in around into a sectional championship. Instead, the Patriots dropped a 3-2 decision to Marion in the third consecutive meeting between the two teams with the title on the line.

The victory marked the 11th championship in the last dozen years for the host Giants. Jay County was the only team to break the run, winning the sectional in 2001.

“Overall, I’m pleased with the whole team,” said Jay County coach Deb Miller, who’s team went through a four-game losing streak this season but rebounded to .500 with a win over sectional champion Richmond (10-4) late in the year. “We’ve been riding that roller coaster the whole season, with the ups and downs, the wins and the losses.”

The championship match between the two teams this year looked a bit like the 2001 battle at the end.

That season Kelly Hess, then a sophomore, was left on the court to decide her team’s fate. She won her match in two sets over Jenna Mitchell to give the Patriots the title, but this year Meredith Turner returned the favor.

Turner and Jay County’s Daniela Harringer were left on the court with the team score tied at 2-2, with Turner up a set, and leading 4-3 in the second.

Harringer fought hard through the next two games, but couldn’t force a third set. She fell behind 5-3 as her serve was broken, and then had to deal with Turner’s offerings in what would be the final game.

The Patriot senior actually went up 30-love and looked poised for a service break, but Turner tied the game in the next two points. She pulled ahead when a Harringer return flew into the net, and finished the match when another shot sailed just outside the baseline.

Turner’s 6-3, 6-3 victory secured the 3-2 win and the sectional championship for Marion. The Giants (12-4) will play Wabash in the Peru regional Tuesday.

Jay County’s two victories came from a pair of seniors who were on the sectional-winning team two years ago.

Hess was dominant against Stephanie Flaig at No. 3 singles, cruising to a 6-1 first-set win. She built a 5-1 lead in the second game before Flaig held serve to win her third game of the match.

But Hess was not going to give her a chance, holding on to her own serve and ending the match when a shot by Flaig flew long. She won by a final of 6-1, 6-2.

Kristen Klatt was involved in a rematch of last year’s No. 1 singles match — this year at No. 2 singles — against Katharina Fischer. And Klatt made the win a lot easier on herself this time around.

In 2002, Klatt trailed 5-2 in the third set before winning five games in a row to beat Fischer. This time, she built 5-2 leads in the first and second sets and put her opponent away early.

In the first set, Klatt built a triple-set point against Fischer’s serve and won on her second try. Then, after giving up a game to slip to 5-3 in the second set, Klatt served out the match for the 6-2, 6-3 victory.

“Kelly at three played her game,” said Miller. “She was in the zone.”

Miller said she was happy to see Klatt play a much different match than she had in last year’s sectional final. She added that Harringer played well at No. 1 singles, but just wasn’t quite as sharp as Turner.

Marion took the team victory as the strength of its doubles teams joined with Turner’s win at No. 1.

The Giants had a quick win in the first set at No. 1 doubles, with Nancy Maidenburg and Amy Patel rolling to a 6-1 win over Julie Sours and Erin St. Myers of Jay County. Sours and St. Myers came back in the second set, taking a 3-2 lead before falling behind 5-4.

Still, the Patriot pair had a chance to pull even as Patel served the 10th game of the set. A double fault and a missed shot by Patel put Sours and St. Myers up 40-15, but they couldn’t convert the double game point opportunity.

Instead, Marion pulled back to deuce, and both teams blew a chance to end the game after that. Finally, Maidenburg finished the win for the Giants with a couple of nice volleys for a 6-1, 6-4 final.

The No. 2 doubles match between the Patriots’ Erin Schmiesing and Chelsea Reff, and Mitchell and Meryl Lester of Marion took the opposite route.

In that battle, Mitchell and Lester had to fight off the Jay County duo for a 6-4, first-set win. Then they took control in the second set to finish the match at 6-4, 6-1.

“No. 1 and 2 doubles did play well,” said Miller. “They put Marion on the defensive at No. 1. (The Giants) weren’t staying at the net, and that was good for us.

“Chelsea (Reff) and Erin (Schmiesing) just keep getting better as partners.”

Both doubles teams will get their chances at Marion as they all return next year. The Giants will graduate five seniors from this year’s championship squad.

Jay County finished the season at 7-8.[[In-content Ad]]