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Hudson Volleyball Holds Off Mitchell

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Eddie Daniels/The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2007

HUDSON - Laundry detergent has the reputation for cleaning things up and making them just right.

Lara Metz, Mary Cook and Lauren Stump each left the Hudson volleyball locker room with bottles of All "Small & Mighty" detergent.

As the bottle claims, the product is three times concentrated, sort of like the Hudson trio, who were key in the Cobras' 19-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-19 victory against the Mustangs Monday night.

The win comes at a time when Hudson (9-3), loser of three of its last four matches, is in dire need of a tipping point. Monday night's victory against a quality opponent in Mitchell (8-4) may serve that role.

"I think tonight we kind of put it all together, which was what we've been working for [and] looking for," Hudson coach Linda McQuade said.

Game 1 was purely a game of catch-up for Hudson. Mitchell would pull away, building a small cushion and Hudson would fight back. Following Hudson's lone 10-9 lead in that game, Mitchell's Alyssa Updegrave collected six consecutive service points and at one point forced the Cobras to call a timeout following an ace.

In Game 2, the Mustangs built a 14-9 advantage, inducing a Hudson timeout. Following the break, Stump collected two kills and a big put-back, which drew the Cobras within striking distance, down 21-20.

Kelly Russo tied the game, 24-24, on a tip to an empty spot at the center of the Mitchell defense. Following a Mitchell hitting error, which gave Hudson the 25-24 lead, Metz closed out Game 2 with a powerful kill from the left side.

"When we're at 24 and a free ball comes to the very center of the court, that I could have ran off of the bench [to get] and nobody got it, that was the game," said a frustrated Keith Paulk, Mitchell coach. "That was an easy pass, set, crush, we win.

"We let a simple free ball drop in the dead center of the court at 24-23. You can't do it."

With a dose of confidence entering Game 3, Hudson built a 15-5 advantage. In that game, Metz tallied four kills.

In Game 4, Stump helped keep the vibe going with four kills and a big block late in the game.

"I knew we could [win]," Metz said, while holding her blue bottle of All. "We were down, but we could pull it out. We always have."

Hudson will travel to Spring Hill Springstead Tuesday night and host Wiregrass Ranch Thursday.

Mitchell, which suffered its third loss in its last four matches, travels to Alonso Tuesday night and will play in a tournament Friday.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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