So when hosting the lone conference opponent that had beat them, the Lady Leopards had a message to send: Not in our house.
Rebekah Melton had 15 kills, including two to close out the first game, as Temple College dominated the North Central College Lady Lions 31-29, 30-27, 30-20 at TC Gym on Thursday afternoon.
“This was huge,” TC coach Mary Reese said. “It was important for them to make a stand and dominate. That’s what we’ve been working on and I couldn’t have asked for anything more today.”
Perhaps fueled by the large crowd that had come to see the final regular-season match at home, Temple (14-13, 7-1 NTJCAC) built a quick seven-point lead in the opening game but couldn’t create separation from talented North Central.
What resulted was a 24-24 tie and an atmosphere worthy of a national championship match.
After North Central (17-17, 5-3) took a 28-26 lead, Cameron Yoe product Shelly Gaas earned a point on a dink before the Lady Lions got to another game point on a spike from Gabby DeJesso, a reigning all-conference selection the league’s kills leader. But when DeJesso tried to close out the game on the next point, she was met by a Melissa Padgett block that cut the lead to 29-28.
For the next two points, TC turned to last year’s conference MVP Melton, who had two almost identical slams from the left side to an empty cross-court area, both of which brought the crowd to its feet.
TC took the game when DeJesso, trying to avoid another block, hit wide on a shot down the line.
“That’s never really the plan, it’s just the smart thing to do,” Reese said of getting the ball to Melton. “I always ask the setters, ‘Who puts the butter on your bread?’ and they know it’s Bek, so they give it to her.”
TC setters Jennifer Mraz (Academy) and Cheyenne Craigen were on all night. Mraz ended with 32 assists and Craigen added 18 as they disguised their sets and spread them around between Melton, Academy’s Heather Lisenbe (11 kills) Padgett (11), Gaas (eight) and Lorranec Johnson (six).
But it was two kills by Sara Heger that helped TC close out Game 2 after watching a five-point lead diminish to 27-26. Strong defense, which limited DeJesso to nine kills, helped the Lady Leopards finish off the match.
“I don’t like to focus on certain players,” Reese said of DeJesso. “Every player they have is a top player. All six of their players are somebody to watch out for. You make sure you stay on your toes and do what you are supposed to do and the game should be handled.”
The Lady Leopards can clinch the conference title and top seed in the conference tournament with a win at second-place Hill on Tuesday. Temple will close the regular season at fourth-place Vernon next Thursday.
While the Lady Leopards were able to send a strong message by winning at home against North Central, clinching the title on the road won’t be easy. Reese, however, is trying to make it simple.
“I try to teach the girls that every court is a home court,” she said. “They are the same dimensions, same thing wherever the court may be. It doesn’t matter where you are at, make it yours.
“Now that I know they have it in them to play this good in three, I’m expecting it every time.”
