By FRANK CASH
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
CAMP POINT, Ill. -- Upset with her team's lack of focus midway through Tuesday night's Class 1A sectional semifinal, Payson Seymour volleyball coach Rita Speckhart voiced her displeasure.
The message came through load and clear.
The Lady Indians rebounded from a lackadaisical loss in the second game to overwhelm Girard and post a 25-8, 23-25, 25-11 victory, good for their 20th straight victory and a spot in Thursday's 7 p.m. sectional championship.
"I told them we're better than that," Speckhart said of the Game 2 loss. "All of a suddden, we quit focusing. I told them to focus on getting to the ball and just play. I gave them a little scolding. Maybe it would've been different if we hadn't won so big in Game 1."
The Lady Indians (34-2) are seeking its first sectional title since 1989 and will face A-C Central/Virginia in the title match. The Lady Knights (28-10) made quick work of Jacksonville Routt with a 25-16, 25-9 victory in Tuesday's other semifinal.
A-C Central/Virginia returns two of its top three hitters and its setter from last year's state runner-up squad.
"We're excited to play them," Payson's Dakota Flesner said. "All the more competition we can play, the better. But if we're on our game, they're beatable. It depends on how we come out and play."
It can't be lackadaisical.
The middle game has been troubling for Payson in its last two matches. First was a 25-10 loss to Unity in Saturday's three-game regional championship victory. Tuesday night's Game 2 wasn't much different, although the Lady Indians made it close in the end.
Down three points late in the game, the Lady Indians battled to a 23-23 tie before the Big Red (26-11) won with solo blocks by Katie Ryan and Ashley Roller.
"We got way too relaxed in that second game," Payson's Stephanie Harris said. "We've got to work on coming out more intense and finishing teams off. We usually play together pretty well but we didn't do that in the second game tonight."
Flesner's serving eased the tension in the finale.
Following Harris' kill for a 4-1 Payson lead, Flesner served six straight aces to give her team a 10-1 advantage. After Girard cut that lead to 14-8, Flesner had three straight kills.
"Coach has been on us a lot lately, especially me, to serve more aggressively and find the holes," Flesner said. "You just find the weaker players, maybe subs that have just come into the game."
The Lady Indians got a boost from sophomore Catherine Richards, who joined the front line of Harris and Alese Speckhart to make five blocks -- all of those in the final two games.
"Catherine has come in and done a really nice job," Harris said. "It's impressive how she's done considering she's a sophomore. She makes us that much stronger at the net."
Harris led Payson with 18 kills and six blocks, while Flesner finished with 10 kills and 17 digs. Alyssa Smith had 28 digs, while Speckhart followed with 12 digs and Erin Smith added 25 assists.
-- sports@whig.com/221-3365
