Smelling victory in their final match of the season, the Tippecanoe Tornados went in for the kill -- in volleyball lingo, that is.

A game up in their best-of-three contest against the Indy Silver Lightning on Oct. 25, Tippecanoe went on a hitting rampage. The Tornados recorded 14 kills in game two -- a team single-game season high -- en route to a 25-14, 25-15 win. The match was played in Plainfield.

Tornados coach Mary Anderson said she was pleased with how her team finished.

“Our passing set up a lot of scoring opportunities,” Anderson said. “Overall, it was a fitting end to our season. We had a good team effort, and the girls were able to do the things we’ve worked hard on all season.”

Tippecanoe never trailed in game one, and only briefly fell behind in game two.

An opening service ace by Alissa Leer set the tone for game one. Tippecanoe scored the first three points and 10 of the first 12. The Silver Lightning cut the lead to five at 12-7 before Katie Koch’s consecutive aces pushed the margin back to seven. Macy Anderson put the capper on the game when, at 24-14, she served a laser for an ace.

The Silver Lightning led 3-1 in game two when the Tornados won back the serve. Megan Anderson supplied a pair of aces herself and two other points, as the Tornados claimed a 6-3 lead.

Tippecanoe’s hitting then took over. Combining hard-driven spikes and well-placed dinks, the Tornados outscored the Silver Lightning 19-12 the rest of the way.

For the match, the Tornados totaled 20 kills -- their most in a two-game stretch this season. For just the third time, six Tippecanoe players had at least one kill.

Macy Anderson’s six kills led Tippecanoe. Leer, Amelia Scott and Caitie Scott all had at least three kills. Leer dished out a half dozen assists and notched six digs, both team highs. Koch and Megan Anderson each had a team-leading three aces.

Tippecanoe wrapped up its 2008 season with a 14-17-2 record and a two-match win streak.

With only Bekah Gray graduating, the Tornados could return as many as nine players in 2009.

Tornados def. Indy Silver Lightning
25-14, 25-15
Tornados statistics: Kills -- Macy Anderson 6, Alissa Leer 5, Amelia Scott 3, Caitie Scott 3, Katie Koch 2, Megan Anderson 1. Assists -- Leer 6, Ma. Anderson 3, A. Scott 1. Digs -- Leer 6, Ma. Anderson 5, Koch 3, Me. Anderson 1, A. Scott 1, C. Scott 1. Blocks -- None. Aces -- Me. Anderson 3, Koch 3, Leer 2, Ma. Anderson 1.
Tornados record: 14-17-2

Adversity came calling on the Tippecanoe Tornados in their Oct. 24 volleyball match with Christian Heritage Academy of Kokomo. The Tornados responded in an inhospitable manner, refusing to open the door.

Good thing. By not throwing out the welcome mat, the Tornados overcame a dicey middle stretch to claim a 3-1 win in their final home match of the season. Tippecanoe was victorious by scores of 25-22, 25-27, 25-15, 25-20.

Despite dropping game two in overtime, the Tornados did not allow that setback to deter them the rest of the way, said Tippecanoe coach Mary Anderson.

“The girls played with a lot of confidence and teamwork,” she said. “But our confidence in ourselves and each other was the difference.”

That self-assurance arrived early, when the Tornados scored the match’s first six points. Tippecanoe extended its lead to 11 points at 19-8, when adversity rang the doorbell. Christian Heritage served seven straight points to slice the margin to 20-15 and even came within two points of Tippecanoe at 24-22, before the Tornados put the game away.

Game two was a back-and-forth affair. The two teams exchanged the lead five times before setting up a wild finish. With the game tied at 22, Christian Heritage committed a faulty serve to give the Tornados a 23-22 advantage. Caitie Scott’s ace then moved Tippecanoe to a point away from a commanding two games to none lead. Christian Heritage knotted the score at 24 and the Tornados inched ahead 25-24. Christian Heritage again got the sideout, and then served two points to take the game.

The visiting team’s momentum did not last long. Alissa Leer’s service ace to start game three kick-started a Tippecanoe offense that built a 20-10 lead. Christian Heritage was not able to mount a rally. A key moment came at 15-10, when Tippecanoe and Christian Heritage engaged in a nearly 60-second volley, in which each team made one point-saving dig after another. As the Tornados finally won the point, Tippecanoe fans erupted in cheers.

Needing just one more game to clinch the match, the Tornados went to work in game four. Tippecanoe chipped away at a five-point Christian Heritage lead, eventually drawing even at 16-apiece on an Amelia Scott ace. Scott served four more points in succession, staking the Tornados to a lead they would not relinquish.

For the match, Macy Anderson hammered home 11 kills and Leer delivered 10 assists. The pair was joined by Caitie Scott as digs leaders, with four each. Katie Koch’s five aces were tops for the Tornados.

The win boosted Tippecanoe’s season record to 13-17-2.

The Tornados close their 2008 season with a pair of matches at the Indy Silver Lightning on Oct. 25. A junior high match begins at 11 a.m., with the varsity contest following.

Tornados def. Christian Heritage Academy
25-22, 25-27, 25-14, 25-20
Tornados statistics: Kills -- Macy Anderson 11, Alissa Leer 6, Megan Anderson 4, Amelia Scott 4, Katie Koch 3. Assists -- Leer 10, Ma. Anderson 4, Koch 1. Digs -- Ma. Anderson 4, Leer 4, Caitie Scott 4, Me. Anderson 3, Koch 3, A. Scott 3, Megan Arnold 1. Blocks -- None. Aces -- Koch 5, Leer 2, A. Scott 2, Ma. Anderson 1, Me. Anderson 1.
Tornados record: 13-17-2

It would have made perfect sense if the Tippecanoe Tornados volleyball players had spoken with a drawl and dined on grits, okra and sweet tea after their two matches on Oct. 18. After all, both contests went south for the navy and silver.

Following early leads against the Plymouth Lady Crusaders and WACHE Warriors -- two teams the Tornados competed well against at the state homeschool tournament -- Tippecanoe’s play moved way below the Mason-Dixon Line. Buried under an avalanche of bad serves, inaccurate passes, attacking errors and poor positioning, the Tornados lost to the Crusaders 25-20, 25-14 and to the Warriors 20-25, 25-15, 15-9. The matches were played in Bluffton, IN.

Both matches looked promising at the start. Against the Crusaders the Tornados fought back from a 12-7 deficit to claim a 16-13 lead. Tippecanoe was still in front 17-15 when the Crusaders scored five straight points to move ahead 20-17. The Tornados got as close as 20-19 before a Tippecanoe serve sailed out, stalling a Tornados rally. Tippecanoe never sliced the Plymouth lead under two points again.

The game one loss was reminiscent of Tippecanoe’s game one result against the Crusaders in the state homeschool junior varsity championship match six days earlier. In that game, the Tornados led 17-13 before the Crusaders ripped off five straight points to take the lead and, eventually the win.

Tippecanoe remained close to the Crusaders through the first seven points of game two. After that, Plymouth gradually pulled away. In one stretch, the Crusaders outscored Tippecanoe 9-1, aided, in part, by a Tornados faulty serve.

Macy Anderson led Tippecanoe with six kills and three aces. She and Alissa Leer had a pair of digs each. Leer’s four assists were tops for the Tornados.

Against WACHE, a Tornados 14-10 game one lead ballooned to 18-10 on four Caitie Scott service points, including a pair of aces. The Warriors cut Tippecanoe’s lead in half at 24-20 before the Tornados slammed the door shut.

With momentum on their side, the Tornados commenced to hand it over to WACHE in game two. The Tornados never led in the game, and four times prevented themselves from climbing back into contention by sending serves long, wide or into the net.

That set up a 15-point deciding game three. A Leer ace put Tippecanoe in front 2-1 -- the last lead the Tornados would enjoy. Four of Tippecanoe’s next seven serves were bad, and the Tornados further hurt themselves by missing a handful of critical kill attempts.

The loss left the Tornados stunned and frustrated.

Caitie Scott’s seven digs were Tippecanoe’s statistical highlight.

In the two matches the Tornados recorded 21 faulty serves.

The Tornados stand 12-17-2 on the season.

Tippecanoe wraps up its 2008 season with its home finale against Christian Heritage Academy of Kokomo on Oct. 24 and at the Indy Silver Lightning on Oct. 25. The final home match begins at 6 p.m. at the Faith Christian School gym. Against the Silver Lightning, a junior high match starts at 11 a.m., with a varsity match following.

Plymouth Lady Crusaders def. Tornados
25-20, 25-14
Tornados statistics: Kills -- Macy Anderson 6, Alissa Leer 2, Megan Anderson 1, Amelia Scott 1. Assists -- Leer 4, Ma. Anderson 2, Caitie Scott 1. Digs -- Ma. Anderson 2, Leer 2, Me. Anderson 1, Katie Koch 1, A. Scott 1, C. Scott 1. Blocks -- Ma. Anderson 1. Aces -- Ma. Anderson 3.
Tornados record: 12-16-2

WACHE Warriors def. Tornados

20-25, 25-15, 15-9
Tornados statistics: Kills -- Megan Anderson 3, Macy Anderson 2, Alissa Leer 1. Assists -- Leer 2, Ma. Anderson 1, Amelia Scott 1. Digs -- Caitie Scott 7, A. Scott 5, Leer 4, Me. Anderson 3, Katie Koch 3, Ma. Anderson 2. Blocks -- None. Aces -- Ma. Anderson 2, C. Scott 2, Me. Anderson 1, Leer 1.
Tornados record: 12-17-2

A love-hate relationship between the Tippecanoe Tornados volleyball team and the service line took a decidedly amorous turn in an Oct. 17 win over the Anderson Angels.

The Tornados served a season-high 18 aces, en route to a 25-13, 25-23, 25-17 victory at Anderson. All six Tippecanoe starters recorded at least once ace, led by Alissa Leer's eight.

Serving has been a problem at various points during the 2008 season for Tippecanoe. Not so against the Angels.

“When we serve well we’re usually competitive. Tonight we were serving some difficult balls, and it made the difference in the match,” said Tornados coach Mary Anderson.

An ace by Caitie Scott and four by Leer helped the Tornados turn an 8-7 lead into a 19-9 advantage in game one. Megan Anderson followed with an ace and two other service points to put the game out of reach.

In game two the Tornados fell behind 9-5 but scored eight of the next nine points, capped by a Katie Koch ace, to grab a 13-10 lead.  The Angels rallied to pull ahead 21-17. After a sideout, Amelia Scott served four straight points to lift Tippecanoe to a 22-21 advantage. The match was knotted at 23 apiece until Macy Anderson served out the win for the Tornados.

Tippecanoe stepped on the gas early in game three. The Tornados ran out to a 5-0 lead, on the strength of two more Leer aces. Anderson was never able to get closer than three points the rest of the way. Seven more aces by the Tornados pushed the Tippecanoe margin to as high as nine points.

The win was Tippecanoe’s first over the Angels in five tries.

Macy Anderson led the Tornados with five kills, while Caitie Scott’s three digs and Leer’s four assists were tops for Tippecanoe.

Tippecanoe improved to 12-15-2 on the season. The Tornados travel to Bluffton, IN, on Oct. 18 for a three-team round-robin event with the host WACHE Warriors and Plymouth Lady Crusaders. The Tornados face the Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. and the Warriors in the following match.

Tornados def. Anderson Angels
25-13, 25-23, 25-17
Tornados statistics: Kills -- Macy Anderson 5, Alissa Leer 3, Katie Koch 1. Assists -- Leer 4, Ma. Anderson 3. Digs -- Caitie Scott 3, Ma. Anderson 1, Megan Anderson 1, Koch 1, Leer 1, Amelia Scott 1. Blocks -- None. Aces -- Leer 8, Koch 3, Me. Anderson 2, A. Scott 2, C. Scott 2, Ma. Anderson 1.
Tornados record: 12-15-2