Play-By-Play of Tipton's State Match With Osage

By Ryan Stonebraker
Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative

Below is a brief look at the three set match at the state tournament in which Tipton fell 3-0 to Osage.  The two teams were equal in many respects, but the Green Devils used their 2016 state experience to take out the Tigers.  Tipton ends the season with a 32-7 record.

1st Set - Osage 25, Tipton 18

The Tigers had a tough time in the first set adjusting to the surroundings, falling behind 10-4 before calling time out.  Amanda Smith, Jamie Kofron, Sommer Daniel and Emily Hermsen all served in the opening Osage run, but could not get more than one service point and two players had service errors.

Tipton libero Laken Hermiston receives a serve from Osage in the
first set.  Photo by Darren Miller.

Tipton got their feet under them and stormed back after the timeout.  A big Blake Ehler kill was followed by two service points by Kamryn Chapman, including an ace to set the score at 10-8 Osage.  Tipton trailed by four, 13-9 before inching back to 13-11 on back-to-back kills by Sommer Daniel.  Later, Tipton trailed by three, 16-13.  Again, the Tigers fought back to get within two, 16-14 on a double block point by Chapman and Daniel.

Ehler’s third kill in the opening set put the score at 18-16.  Osage reached 20 points first, tying their biggest set lead at four, 20-16. This time Tipton could not rally.   The Green Devils outscored the Tigers 5-2 to claim the first set 25-18.  Blake Ehler had five kills in the set to lead the offense and the Tigers did a good job of establishing double blocks on kills in front of them.  Osage countered with cross court kills that spread out the Tigers defense.  Osage had four different players record kills in the set, led by Kelsey Havel with four.

2nd Set - Osage 25, Tipton 19

Tipton's Amanda Smith taps over a kill attempt during the
second set of the Tiger's quarterfinal match with Osage.
Photo by Darren Miller.

Tipton served first and scored first in the set on a Jamie Kofron block, sending an Osage kill back.  A Sommer Daniel kill later, gave Tipton their first lead in the match at 2-1.  Another Daniel kill gave Tipton a 4-3 lead and a Daniel tap-over ball gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead.  The set was back-and-forth early as neither team could get more than a two-point lead.

Tipton led 7-5 after back-to-back Blake Ehler and Kofron kills, giving them their biggest lead of the match to that point.  Later, off an Ehler serve, Daniel put down her third kill in the set to give Tipton a 9-6 lead.  Tipton equaled their three point lead, 12-9 after back-to-back kills by Daniel and Kofron.  Like before, Osage came back with a 6-0 run to grab a 14-12 lead.  A Daniel bump over got tipton to within 14-13. A Chapman kill got Tipton to within 17-15 and another Kofron kill to 17-16, but it’s as close as Tipton would get.

Osage would end the set on an 8-3 run including getting to 20 points first (20-16) in the set.  Tipton cut the Green Devil lead to three, 22-19 with a mini 2-0 run, but could get no closer.

The Tigers kept up their blocking in the set, frustrating Osage with double blocks on Havel, but errors and luck gave Osage the needed boost to claim the second set.

3rd Set - Osage 25, Tipton 18

The third set was nearly a copy of the second set how it played out except for the start.  Tipton got the first points of the set and Amanda Smith served Tipton to three more points and a 4-0 lead, their biggest of the match.  A Smith block, Kofron kill, a Daniel kill and an ace serve accounted for the Tigers first four points.

Tipton's Emily Hermsen passes the ball to a
teammate during the second set.  Photo by
Darren Miller.

Osage came back, using a 5-1 run to tie the match at 5.  After going back and forth, Tipton used a 3-0 run to take a 10-7 lead.  A Blake Ehler kill, Kofron point and another point were the three points in the run.  An Ehler kill gave Tipton an 11-9 lead and later, an Ehler ace serve gave the Tigers their biggest lead again at four points, 13-9.  

Like the second set, Osage went on a 5-0 run to grab a 14-13 lead.  Tipton tied the match at 14 and took a 15-14 lead on an Osage error.  An Amanda Smith kill gave Tipton a 16-14 lead.  It would unfortunately be their last.  Osage used a 4-0 run to take a 18-16 lead.  The run swelled to 7-0 including seeing the Green Devils getting to 20 points first - 20-16.  Tipton stopped the run, setting the score at 21-16 on a Bailey Schmidt kill.

Tipton’s last point of the match came on a Chapman kill to get Tipton to within three points, 21-18.  Osage ended the set on a 4-0 run to claim the set and the match.