Tippecanoe Valley’s Sophie Bussard leads the cheers after her club closed out Marion, 3-0, Monday night. (Photos by Mike Deak)

AKRON – Monday’s volleyball match for Tippecanoe Valley had all the makings of some déjà vu. Rather than test fate, Valley closed the deal in style, shutting out Marion, 3-0, on game scores of 25-22, 25-22, 27-25.

After taking the first two games of an eventual 3-2 nailbiter at Wawasee a week ago, Tippecanoe Valley found itself up 2-0 against the Giants only for the visitors to make a run. One, in fact, that had the purple take a 20-15 lead in game three only for Valley to storm back to ensure there would be no more heartstoppers.

Makenzie Woodcox led Valley with seven kills.

“It’s still a confidence battle with them,” said Tippecanoe Valley head coach Mallory Eaton. “They have it and then they lose it. I told them, ‘No more. Now is your time.’ I hate looking back and regretting things. If we are going to play, we have to go big. I’d rather play hard all the time and lose to a better team than just go through the motions and barely win. Tonight I saw that spark in our team, they didn’t want to lose.”

Valley came back to trail 20-19 in the third game, and tie up the score at 23 on a Shayleigh Shriver kill. Mackenzie Woodcox and Sophie Bussard each punched home kills to bring Valley back to square, and a pair of violations by Marion closed out what was an entertaining set of matches between the two teams.

Valley led 14-4 in the second game, but Marion made a 9-3 run to raise Eaton’s blood pressure. Leilanu Jackson had a pair of kills for Marion to keep the Giants close, but Abby Betten and Woodcox killed the rally, literally.

Emily Peterson sends up one of her 21 assists Monday night.

Game one saw Valley use late momentum to break a 20-all tie, part of the determination Eaton has been looking for from her ultra-young club.

“We’re not a big team, so passing and defense is what is going to make us,” Eaton noted. “Defense is a mindset, with Shayleigh in particular, she feeds off that. Her main role is passing and defense and she stepped up. Someone like Marlea Myers came in and brought us some energy. She’s just another sophomore. When Sophie turns it on, it’s just infectious. As a coach, how do I get that energy early in game one rather than when it’s 23-all and we need to fire up.”

Woodcox, just a freshman, led the team with seven kills and added four blocks. Sophomore Bussard had six kills and six digs, classmate Emily Peterson had 26 assists and two aces, and Shriver added four kills and four digs. Junior Olivia Trippiedi added 11 digs and Abby Betten, one of just three seniors, had six kills and classmate Taneisha Brown had two aces and two assists.

The Valley JV also provided a sweep on the sheet, taking Marion 25-7, 25-15. Anna Walters had eight assists, Marlea Myers served up five aces, Hannah Jansma and Amy Baca each had five kills and Sarah Myers and Kennedie Brooks dug a pair of attempts.

Valley (2-1) will host Winamac Tuesday evening.

Shayleigh Shriver waits on a Marion service Monday night during Tippecanoe Valley’s 3-0 win.