Rose spikes York to win

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:24PM

At 5-foot-6, York junior Caroline Rose doesn't have the size most high school coaches covet in an outside hitter.

But don't tell Rose that. Or Hinsdale Central, either.

Rose had 17 kills, including nine in the decisive third game, as York (5-0) fought off three match points to defeat Hinsdale Central 23-25, 25-20, 29-27 to win the Benet invitational Saturday in Lisle.

"I'm short," admitted Rose, who was named the tournament MVP. "I'm a little kid."

Rose has been an outside hitter since she first started playing volleyball in fifth grade. Back then, she was a towering 5-foot-5. She has grown little since. But what she lacks in height, she compensates with great court awareness, strength and jumping ability.

"I can see where the other players are on the court, and I swing hard so the ball goes off their hands and not back in my face," she said.

York coach Patty Iverson saw so much ability in Rose that she elevated her to the varsity as a freshman.

"She's amazing," Iverson said. "She does so much. She has incredible explosiveness, she serves well, she moves well, and despite her size she puts up a solid block. She uses her power and strength very well. Every time she plays, she improves."

Rose's heroics helped York improve to 5-0 and turn back Hinsdale Central for the second time in as many days. Friday in pool play, the Dukes defeated the Red Devils 25-20, 20-25, 29-27 in a match that saw Hinsdale Central fight off three match points.

"I felt like we got tight on defense and tentative on offense," said Hinsdale Central coach Shealynn Kellough after Saturday's loss dropped her team to 3-3. "The combination of the two made it tough to put the match away."

Morgan Semmelhack added six kills and two blocks, Melissa Deatsch had six kills, Katie Gallagher had 21 assists and Emily Iverson added 17 assists for York. Katarina Milojevic led Hinsdale Central with 11 kills and three blocks.

In the third-place match, Benet (4-2) defeated Waubonsie Valley (3-3) 25-17, 21-25, 25-16. Earlier in Saturday's semifinals, Waubonsie squandered a 20-12 lead in Game 1 and lost to York 28-26, 25-16, while the Redwings were losing to Hinsdale Central 25-23, 25-20.

"We are just very inconsistent," Benet coach Brad Baker said. "There are stretches, like all last night (when the Redwings went 3-0 in pool play) when we are very good. We had a couple of good stretches today.

"I told the girls you cannot get too high and you cannot get too low," he added. "The goal is to be the best at the end of the season."

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