Red Devils volleyball sweeps first match of year

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Sports

August 26, 2014 - 12:00 AM

Allen Community College swept Longview Community College in the team’s season opener  Monday night. The scores were much closer than the match points indicated, with the Red Devils winning 28-26, 25-17 and 26-14.
The lead in the first set went back and forth and needed three extra points for ACC to pull out win. The game set the tone for rest of the match.
“It was very close, incredibly close,” Red Devil head coach Jessica Peters said. “I think we kind of anticipate what home openers carry as far as weight. There’s a lot of nerves, girls are just very nervous people. We knew it was probably going to be close.”
The Red Devils started with a 5-3 advantage, only to see Longview snap up the next five points to take an 8-5 lead. ACC didn’t lead again until the score was 17-16 in favor of the Red Devils. The Lakers rallied to take a 23-22 lead, needing only two points to finish off ACC for the match point. With the score tied at 26, the Red Devils stormed for two straight points to take the game and momentum.
Allen took the next game by eight points, winning 25-17. The team never gave up the lead. In-between the second and third match, there is a seven minute break.
“I think they proved themselves in that second game,” Peters said. “Sometimes though, that break we take, which is like a media or regulation halftime, it can pose as a momentum-shifter, and clearly that’s what we saw tonight.”
The third set went to extra points again. Allen held the lead for much of the match, by a point or two, but just couldn’t gain a flurry of points. With the score tied, 22-22, Peters took the team’s first timeout to try to settle the girls’ nerves.
It didn’t really help. The Lakers won two of the next three points to take a 24-23 lead.
With Longview one point away from winning, Peters took the team’s final timeout. This time it paid off; the Red Devils won the final three points to win, 26-24.
Peters said the time-outs were crucial. She said she uses them sparingly.
“Our freshman outside hitter, Carly Jackson, definitely led the way and paved the road for our offense,” Peters said. “She had nine kills, only four hitting errors and we sent the ball to her about 20 times. As an outside hitter, she hit at a .250 rate, which is where we really want to see her.”
Peters said Jessica Pollitt contributed nicely to the offense.
“She came out and was the one that we were feeding in that first game and they were just not getting a stop on her,” Peters said. “I think she fell off as an offensive option for us, not because of her, but we weren’t sending her the ball as much.”
Pollitt had 8 kills and hit .500. Peters also gave credit to the setters, calling them the quarterback of the team. Raquel West had 15 assists and Madi Maguire had 18 assists.
Allen (1-0) will have its first conference game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Labette. The team will be taking monetary donations in support of Allen County Animal Rescue Facility.
“This one will make or break whether or not we find a seat at the very end,” Peters said. “Sometimes these games early on, really determine where we end up.”
 

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