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SUNNY Temp: 51 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 18, 2002 North Medford freshman Susie Rench, center, sets up an attack for the Black Tornado during Tuesday's four-game victory over South Medford, 25-22, 16-25, 28-26, 25-16. Black Tornado dips past Panthers North Medford extends 17-year winning streak against South Medford By ROD HARWOOD for the Mail Tribune South Medford has 17 years of volleyball history to erase when it comes to playing North Medford. The Panthers haven’t beaten the Black Tornado since the high school split in 1986. But in Tuesday’s Southern Oregon Conference match at South, the Panthers (4-7 overall, 0-3 SOC) took a bite anyway, extending the Black Tornado (2-2 overall, 2-1 SOC) to four games in a 3-1 loss. South regrouped from a 25-22 loss in the opening game to level the match at one game apiece with a 25-16 victory in the second game. But in the end, as it has been for years, North’s ability to handle the big points proved to be the difference in its 25-22, 16-25, 28-26, 25-16 conference win. "Rarely do I feel my team this amped up or wired before a game, but the match against South means a lot," North Medford coach Ron Beick said. "I thought we got sloppy defensively in the third game and let them back in. "Kami Hwang came off the bench and served a couple of key points to give us the lead, 24-23. Obviously, that game dictated the match." Despite losing its third SOC match, South coach Jerry Hagstrom gave a thumbs-up to a scrappy effort. "We knew it would come down to which team was able to execute at the crucial time," Hagstrom said. "In Game 3, we failed to execute in that crucial time, especially at game point. "We had our chances to win it and failed to execute and gave it back." South’s Jennifer Brennan, a 6-foot senior middle blocker, gave the Panthers a 23-21 lead in the third game with an impressive stuff block. But North took possession of the service on freshman Susie Rench’s kill to close to 23-22. Hwang came off the bench for the service and the Black Tornado evened the third game at 23-23 with a cross-court kill by Stacey Casebier. Hagstrom tried to disrupt the momentum swing with a timeout, but North took the lead, 24-23, after the break. South tied it up again at 24-24, but Casebier ripped another kill to give the Black Tornado the edge. South evened it up one more time at 25-25 and took the lead 26-25 when Brittney Hunt hit a service winner. North Medford drew even when the next serve went long and closed out the pivotal third game with two points on Rench’s service to take a 2-1 lead. "We had to make sure to stay calm and not panic and just do what we do best," North Medford freshman Jessica Walters said about the third game. Despite being one of two freshmen in the young North starting lineup, Walters is not new to big-game volleyball. "I play a lot of club ball with Rogue Valley Volleyball Club, but the hostile environment thing is something new to me," she said. "It was a little stressful in the beginning because of our winning tradition. I was a little nervous, but it was fun." The Black Tornado saw its 5-0 lead to start the fourth game eventually give way to an 8-8 tie. Jennifer Mendenhall, who finished the night with seven kills, put one down, and South closed to 13- 12 at one point. But North stayed just out of reach throughout the final game. South’s Jennifer Brennan and Marissa Towry came away with a block to move the Panthers to 20-19, but the Black Tornado closed with six straight points to win the match. Rench led the Black Tornado with 11 kills and nine assists. Jensen finished with six kills, five blocks and two service aces. Jessica Walters and Jennifer Siebenlist had 10 digs apiece. For the Panthers, Brennan led the team with 12 kills and five blocks. Mendenhall had seven kills. Kristina Easton led the team with 12 digs and Hunt added eight digs. North hosts Klamath Union Thursday, while South travels to Grants Pass. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S