By Kyle Koso
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When the opponent settles in, it’s important to keep those thoughts of doubt settled down. The Forza1 North 15 Elite team had a certain command of the moment early in Saturday night’s match against KC Power Black at the TC NIT, enough to see the Power labor to keep up as Forza won Set 1. But, this being a top-shelf event front to back, KC Power cut down on the gaffes and tied it, forcing a deciding third set at the KC Convention Center. Forza didn’t get discouraged by the other side showing some rally heart, instead gutting out the third set and posting a 25-17, 21-25, 15-10 victory, one of three wins on the day for the California program. Although a bit undersized, Forza definitely had a quick first step when it mattered and also served the ball with purpose and menace – more than anything, the confidence never wavered. “We definitely had a rough start in the second set, but we did a great job coming back. I was a little mad about it, but not at my team, just myself,” said Chloe Taylor, who shined as primary setter and punched home a few kills as well when given the chance. “It feels so great getting those swings; it’s a big, competitive group of girls on the other side, a hard division, so it feels great to do it. “We are so fired up to be here at Triple Crown, and when we found out we were in the Power Pools, we wanted to get after it.” A cluster of mistakes by KC Power and a series of points fueled by the jump serve of Ryan Brock put Forza in command at the start; the set was tidied up with kills from Jordan Rall and Maddie Siqueland, along with an ace by Olivia Zajicek. KC Power flexed some depth in Set 2, taking a 14-8 lead and then showing some mettle as well after Forza closed it to 21-20, an effort highlighted by the high-flying kills of Bo Bronson. “Our goal this season had been about responding well to feedback, which we did after the second set,” said Brock, whose terminal hitting and terrific serves were big momentum makers for Forza. “I’ve been playing since I was 9, so I’ve had a lot of years to work on my serve.” “Our energy has been there, and it’s built us the momentum to play well.” Set 3, Forza proved to be the steady unit, building a 12-8 lead with key kills from Lauren Furnald and Saaliyah Brown. Oddly, both teams had a burst of service errors in the late going, but the lead was enough for Forza to emerge on top. “We got them on the back foot early with our serve pressure. It’s one of the things this group does well,” said Forza coach Austin Meadur. “I don’t think they had a plan for us early. We talked about it between sets, how they are playing some of the best teams in the nation, so expect them to have a response for you. We knew they were going to respond, so then it was our turn to have one. “Third set, it really showed, back to good serve pressure and some defensive opportunities that turned into high-quality transition that didn’t happen in the second set. I don’t worry too much about the serve errors, it’s just part of the game. We want them to have the confidence to go back out there and serve tough.” Forza also had two-set victories Saturday versus Kairos Alpha and MadFrog Green. |
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