Llamas survive thriller to win city tourney

The 3rd Annual Malta Parks and Recreation Co-ed Volleyball season ended in dramatic fashion on Monday, November 19, as the Volley Llamas and the Some Spike It Hot team (Spikers) squared off for the title. The match was won by the undefeated Volley Llamas in sudden death overtime, as the time for the game expired with teams tied in the third set. The match was the conclusion of the Malta Parks and Recreation Eight Team Single Elimination Volleyball Tournament. "The key was getting our communication together and just relying on each other, working together and getting our serves over," Llamas Captain Cassie Pratt told the PCN. The Champion Volley Llamas consisted of Carly Prestwich, Cassie Pratt, Cheyenne Young, Kate Webb, Caitlyn Chase, Lynnel LaBrie, Kayla Warren, Seth Rogers, Mitch Demarais, Houston Demarais, and substitute Nate Hammond. The Runner-up Spikers consisted of Julie Snellman, Jason Snellman, Natalie Judd, Anna Marie Judd, Emma Leigh, Kelly Cederberg, Kris Simanton, Stacie Simanton, Julia Tatafu, and Jesse Turner. Earlier in the game, the Llamas found themselves down a set after failing to overcome a five-point run established by the Spikers in the first set. The Spikers won 25-16. "We weren't talking for sure," Prestwich said about the dropped set. "And some of our serves weren't getting over. My serves definitely weren't getting over." The Llamas jumped ahead by as much as eight points in the second set, and ultimately won the set 25-17. In the third set, a set that could be won by reaching fifteen points first, Jason Snellman scored the first point on a hard spike, giving the Spikers a 1-0 lead. "The guys are terrifying when they come up to spike it at the net," Pratt said. "You just really don't want to get hit in the face." The Spikers would earn a 7-4 on a lead on a four-point run before a timeout was called by the Llamas, that's when Prestwich could be heard yelling at her team "Pull yourselves together!" "You have to have a little inspiration when you are down to the wire like that," Prestwich said. The Llamas would surrender three more points before things started clicking. The score was 11-4 in favor of the Spikers. Houston Demarais of the Llamas produced the first point of his team's comeback run on a spike. Llama Cheyenne Young's serving skills would be put to the test. Young's serves were nearly unhittable in the team's Semi-Final game against the Fighting Irish. "It's called the spatula," the team said of her serve. "She has had that serve since high school. During the team's run in which Young produced three straight aces, Young was backed up by the Llamas' frontline which produced a couple of kills. The Spikers called timeout as they watched their 11-4 lead become an 11-10 lead. After the Spikers' timeout, Young stayed true to form, producing a game-tying ace. The teams would then start to trade points within the final two minutes of regulation. Up 13-12, the Spikers had a miscommunication on defense in which they let the ball fall to the middle of the ground, giving up another point. An errant serve gave the Spikers back the lead 14-13. A fielding error by the Spikers would give the Llamas the tie once more. A defensive alignment error would give the Spikers the fifteenth point with seconds left on the clock. The Llamas would tie the game one more time with only five seconds left. The regulation then ended and the team agreed that the next point would win the game. The game was won after the Spikers suffered a passing error. The win gave the Llamas an undefeated season. "I have been working towards this for three seasons," Prestwich said. "I have been on this team for three years and we finally pulled through." The Volley Llamas finished second in last year's tourney.

Jason Snellman spikes the ball in a Malta Parks and Recreation volleyball game.