Rockets weather the storm to secure three-set win over Cardinals -

The Rochester Rockets hosted the Pleasant Plains Cardinals Thursday night in a 2A showdown to close out the regular season. Rochester entered the matchup coming off a share of the CS8 title, while Pleasant Plains brought momentum from a strong showing in the Sangamo Conference.

Rochester wasted little time getting things started. Peyton Zeidler was electric at the net, securing several kills and showcasing her arm, while libero Sam Kerley was all over the floor, coming up with dig after dig to help set the Rockets up for success. Rochester took the opening set 25-21.

The second set belonged to Pleasant Plains. Kyra Wolters, Emma Sabatka and Mallory Bond helped spread the floor and find open gaps in the Rochester defense, shutting down the Rockets’ momentum. The Cardinals took the second set with ease, 25-16, forcing a deciding third set.

The final set was pure chaos, with both teams trading points in a back-and-forth battle. Emotions ran high as Rochester head coach Kallie Green was issued a red card following two delay-of-game warnings during timeouts. With adversity mounting, the Rockets had to dig deep and find a way to finish.

Rochester did just that, gutting out a 25-22 third-set victory to secure the win and close out the regular season on a high note.

Following the hard-fought victory, Jack Hart caught up with Rochester libero Sam Kerley to discuss the win, the team’s preparation for postseason play and the importance of the libero position.

Sam Kerley talks Rochester’s win over Pleasant Plains

Kerley was a major factor in the Rockets’ victory, helping Rochester weather the ups and downs of a playoff-like atmosphere.

When asked about the team’s ability to fight through adversity and finish the game, Kerley emphasized the importance of staying together.

“You know, I came in and I said, ‘Guys, like, let’s just fight, let’s just kill them.’ And, you know, we had a lot more ups and downs, but we fought through it and we really, like, put it to them at the end and we won, and it was a big win.”

With the postseason approaching, Kerley said Thursday’s matchup was an important opportunity to experience adversity before the games become even bigger.

“I think it was great to have, like, an up-and-down moment because you never know when that’s going to happen. And I want to be ready for postseason, and I think if we get that out of the way now, then, like, postseason we’re not going to have a bump, we’re just going to be all high.”

As Rochester’s libero, Kerley played a crucial role in keeping the Rockets’ offense moving. Her defensive effort and communication helped Rochester find opportunities throughout the night.

Kerley explained that the libero position is about much more than just getting digs.

“Um, the libero is really important because you’re not only, like, digging and building momentum off of, like, the first ball, you’re also, like, leading the rest of the team. You’re telling them where to hit. You are the first pass to start the whole play. You’re talking to your blockers, you’re talking to Kimmy the setter, dumps, and spots, and so you’re really, like, trying to communicate the whole time. My voice is gone, I was yelling, I was just trying to help my teammates the best I could.”

With the Rockets now turning their attention to the postseason, Kerley said conditioning and competitive practices have been key to preparing for the challenges ahead.

“We’re conditioning. That third set, we’re not tired because we’re conditioning, so we’re ready to play. And also, we’re just really going at each other in practice, and we’re making sure that we’re going to make each other as best as we can to be ready for those big games.”

Rochester closes out the regular season with a hard-fought victory over Pleasant Plains, giving the Rockets momentum as they prepare for a postseason run.