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As far as a high school volleyball game goes this one was a classic.
But it was also a tough first conference loss for the Barneveld Golden Eagles. So tough, in fact, that coach Kevin Knudson waited until Friday morning to report the results of the Thursday night battle.
"I took the night to unwind over the loss," Knudson said.
What made it so tough was the quality of play by both teams. Neither one deserved to lose but eventually one did.
For the first time in Six Rivers East play this season, that team was Barneveld.
The match went all five games. Scores were 26-24, 24-26 25-22 21-25 9-15. Barneveld won the first and third games.
All five were, for lack of a better term, hotly contested games.
"It was just a great high school volleyball match that one team had to lose and it ended up that we were that team," Knudson said.
The loss dropped the Eagles to 7-1 in Six Rivers East play with four matches to go.
"We still have a one game lead," Knudson said.
The Eagles were to play a quickly improving Black Hawk team Tuesday then have Albany, Juda and Pecatonica left on the schedule.
The Eagles are 16-4 overall.
"In game one we dominated, but let them creep back and make a game out of it," Knudson said.
"Game two was the key game to the match," Knudson said. "We again lead throughout."
The Eagles were up 23-18 and had the ball at the serving line twice with a chance to put the game away. But, the Ponies went on a 8-1 run that gave them the decision.
"Marissa Berg, one of Monticello's better players, went on a serving run and we could not get a pass up," Knudson said. "For whatever reason we tightened up and could not get the job done. I believe if we could have gone up two games on them, they would of had a difficult time coming back on us."
The Eagles took the lead with a win in game three but the Ponies won the last two.
"Even with the momentum on Monticello's side going into game three, we still were the better team, coming out of the loss if we had won that game."
"In game four we got behind and never could get a run going," Knudson said. The game was tied at 21."
The Eagles couldn't get off the block in game five.
"Game five we started slowly," Knudson said. 'In a short game to 15, you can not get behind by much or it is very difficult to catch up. We started the fifth game with two missed serves and you just can't give away free points."
The Eagles coach felt the effort and overall quality of play was there.
"I felt overall are girls played very well," Knudson said. "We never gave up and battled to the end. I have said all along that our passing was the key to our success and tonight we struggled with our passing at crucial times of the match and we gave them too many freeballs."
"Take nothing from Monticello" Knudson said. "They played a great match and beat us. They have to sit back now and hope we lose again."
"One of our goals is still reachable and the girls are determined to reach it," Knudson said. "I thought we played very well as a team and I thought Rachel Slaney played her best match of the year, she seems to rise to the occasion."
Eagle Stats:
Kills: Rachel Slaney 19, Samantha Evans 14.
Assist: Danielle Straubhaar 27.
Blocks: Rachel Slaney 4.
Digs: Rachel Slaney 16, Kristin Udelhofen 15.
Serving Points: Samantha Evans 21, Madi Laube 15, Rachel Slaney 14.