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Show Times Newspaper Thursday, September 16, 2004 Page A7 k IF aapy dtowmio goxaxril aiondl bad Twoves rally from 2-0 deficit to pick up the preseason win over Springville LANDON OLSON Times Sports Editor When the fifth game became knotted at 13-13, Jessica Jensen got mad. The T-wolves T-wolves had watched a 13-5 lead disappear and she was ready to do something about it. , So she did the only thing she could, and asked for the ball, The next play she got it on the right side, drilling a kill down the line to put Timpanogos up 14-13. An attacking error by Springville on the next play gave the T-wolves the come-from-behind 23-25, 24-26, 25-20, 25-17, 15-13 victory Thursday. "It was fun. It was just fun to watch," said coach Stephanie Brinton. Of course she can say that afterward, but the T-wolves T-wolves could have closed out the match much sooner, especially after having leads late in all five games. Still, Brinton said she thinks having to come from behind was a good thing for her players and a good learning experiences. "That's the thing we haven't been good at is the tight games. We play close and we haven't been able to put games away," she said. "It was perfect game for us tonight to come back and win." After coming back to tie the match 2-2, it was the fifth game where the T-wolves really had to show their poise and step up. Ahead 5-4 early, three kills by Jessica Jensen and a kill by Cali Nelson helped Timpanogos to a commanding 13-5 lead, but Springville wouldn't go away. The Red Devils reeled off eight straight points to tie the game. Nelson said she not only was nervous, but terrified at that point, but the team rallied together like they'd done the whole match, and Jensen's final kill her 13th of the match put Timpanogos over the top. The first two games could have gone the other way, though, negating the need for the fifth-game showdown. Trailing 19-15 late in game one, the T-wolves used a 7-1 run, highlighted with kills from Jensen, Emilee Henshaw and Nelson, along with a solo block from Nelson, to go up 22-20. Springville bounced back to go up 23-22, Henshaw tied the game on a kill, but a Red Devil kill and Timpanogos error finished out the first set. In the second game, again the T-wolves led. late, this time using a 4-0 run to go up 21-17. A Springville timeout blunted that run though, and the Red Devils ripped off four straight points of their own to tie the game. The game would be tied again at 24, but Springville ended it on a kill. After that second game, Nelson said the whole team got down, but Brinton was able T". S k A y. H z- ..... . & ., ......v.-, - ..-.ifmm Defensive specialist Shannon Ottesen passes a ball while Jessica Jensen looks on. to keep them focused and provide some motivation. After every point, for or against, the T-wolves would run into a circle cir-cle for a group hug and congratulations just to stay up. And it worked. "They played with a lot of heart. After that second game losing I was worried, but they played better every game," Brinton said. To start the third game, the two teams stayed even, with Timpanogos finally pulling ahead 18-15 after a 4-0 run. Twice more the Red Devils would get back to within one, but a 5-1 run closed out game three. With a turnaround in progress, the T-wolves T-wolves got off to a strong start in game four and then went up 12-6 after three kills from Nelson. Then Henshaw, Neilani Lotulelei and Jensen started putting balls away, pushing the lead as high as eight and finishing the game with a 25-17 victory. Jensen led the team in kills, and of her 13 she had four each in the final two games. Also reaching double figures were Lotulelei and Nelson, who each had 10 :kills. Henshaw chipped in eight. "I really think it was balanced. We're working on making smart, good decisions," Brinton said. "I thought Cali did really well at that tonight. Jessica and Neilani and Emily, they just played their steady game." For Nelson, only a sophomore, many of s "fc I I "sX . . i - , t , T . t - i ' fi r '' I i "C - 1 7 . L I 1 : ' L . - if f v- -I f " ' " r 4 t Jl 1 TZ7: & ' f i 11 il u-r. photos by l.andon Olson7mcv Newspaper Emilee Henshaw, a Timpanogos middle blocker (22), swings on the attack against Springville. her kills were coming off putbacks on over overpasses in the middle, or going up and winning the joust against Springville players. play-ers. "Usually we work on it in practice and usually I'm early," Nelson said of the put-backs, put-backs, then looks over at Brinton, "I just have to wait, right coach? I just have to wait." In addition to her offensive numbers, Nelson also led the team in blocks with one assist and three solo. "I love blocking," she said, especially when it's 1-on-l. "I like 1-on-l. Me against you. Who's better?" With one preseason match remaining, the T-wolves are now at 3-1. They played at Payson Tuesday and have the rest of the week off before hosting Orem Tuesday in their Region VII opener. Timpanogos spikers 9 uneven play costly in loss against 5 A Northridge LANDON OLSON Times Sports Editor The Timberwolves knew the were going to have a strong backline, relying on defense to stay in matches, but sometimes an opponent just has too much firepower. Outhitting Timpanogos with a 41-16 kills margin, 5A Northridge picked up the sweep, 25-20, 25-22, 25-17 Sept. 7 in Orem to give the T-wolves (2-1) their first loss of the year. The Knights, with plenty of options on the attack, where able to move the ball around, finding spots to slip the ball in for the kill. And not only that, they were able to hold the T-wolves to only 16 kills in the three games. "They play good defense and we didn't play our best obviously," obvious-ly," said Timpanogos coach Stephanie Brinton. Still, the scores could have been a lot worse as the T-wolyes battled back in both the first and second games to keep things interesting. Trailing 13-6 in game one, , ' v mm 'i ja r?.-r a yi Jk Ml TP "uu- k in alz:0' $ ' photo by Landon Ohunl Times Newspaper T-wolf Jessica Jensen dives, Just getting her hand under the ball and making the saving dig against Northridge. Timpanogos got going on . a kill by Emilee Henshaw, then just kept the ball alive, letting Northridge make five straight mistakes to pull within 13-12. Back-to-back kills by Neilani Lotulelei tied the game at 15, and the T-wolves surged ahead 17-16. But they couldn't count on mistakes by the Knights the whole game. Two Northridge kills and an ace put the Knights up for good as they closed out the game on a 6-2 run. The second game followed the same pattern as the first, with Northridge establishing a solid lead at 21-14 only to watch Timpanogos come roaring back. Once again capitalizing on Knight errors, the T-wolves closed the game, tying it at 22-22 before watching it slip away due to Northridge kills. Coming up just short in the first two game, the T-wolves couldn't get things going in game three, falling behind 15-6 early and never getting closer than six the rest of the way. A trio of T-wolves paced the team in kills, with Henshaw, Lotulelei and Jessica Jensen all recording four, while Henshaw, Lotulelei and middle blocker Cali Nelson all tabbed a block. Brinton said her team had some difficulty adjusting the block to the attack due to Northridge's timing, hut Lotulelei and Nelson still did a solid job at the net. Another difficulty was that from not having practiced the day before due to Labor Day holiday, hol-iday, her team was a bit slow and out of rhythm, Brinton said. That showed in the roller-coaster roller-coaster play pattern, as the T-wolves T-wolves were up and down within the games, sometimes looking flat while at others look great. "They just really have their moments of really playing well and then we're kind of just a little lit-tle too extreme," Brinton said. With two more preseason matches before region play, Brinton said she will be looking for her team to play with not only more emotion, but also to stay steady throughout the entire match. Where is the Hill Cumorah? What evidence speaks from the dust? Find OutI Sept. 24 & 25 Sheraton Hotel Salt Lake City iSssrtsp LBS Sch&lsrs KiSso Dei LusSSivi seisI Ted Orcvjsrton Stiaro their latest research! For More Information contact: www.BMAF.org or call (801) 414-5150 bmaf rnr; iirt . Siutm """V-raJP . !..,. ft n We have an Extensive Credit Program. We can help with a New or Used car and Reestablish your credit. No Hassle 24 hr. Credit Line. 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