ARKANSAS CITY — After one of the most disappointing weeks of an otherwise successful volleyball season, Allen Community College head coach Jessica Peters found the Red Devils across the court from the top-ranked Cowley Tigers Monday night.
Even though the Red Devils lost, 25-20, 25-21, 25-16, Peters said Monday’s match is one from which Allen can build.
Allen (23-13 and 5-5 in Region VI standings) wraps up the regular season at home Wednesday against another regional power, 16th ranked Neosho County. The match is part of Sophomore Night activities.
The Red Devils will then advance to the Region VI playoffs Nov. 9.
The Cowley match “was a chance to redeem themselves from a knee-buckler we had to claim last week” in a disappointing loss to Johnson County, Peters said.
It quickly became evident the team’s mindset was much improved, Peters said. “This was the Allen we knew existed.”
The Red Devils took it to Cowley from the start, jumping to a 7-3 lead in the first set.
The Tigers responded, pulling even at 11-11, where the teams traded points until it was 19-19.
Cowley closed the set with a 6-1 run to win.
Allen repeated its strong start in the second set, eventually forging its way to a 19-17 lead, and forcing the Tigers to call timeout.
“We kept the lead and put ourselves in a position to finish, but Cowley found the one weakness we had all night — our serve receive,” Peters said.
The Tigers closed the set with an 8-2 run, including a pair of questionable net violation calls against Allen, to secure the win.
Peters made no mention of the violation calls, but rather said the difference was the Red Devils’ inability to properly set up passes for the ACC front line hitters.
“Our receive errors forced us out of system, which caused us to tip,” she said, which in turn kept Cowley in the game. “We are an execution-driven team, and tipping is not what we are effective doing.”
Still, the Red Devils committed only four errors in the set, compared to 17 kills.
“Set 2 was by far the best set of the night,” Peters said.
ALAS, ALLEN’S momentum ended after the second set.
Cowley blitzed the Red Devils to the tune of an 11-1 start to seize control of the third set.
But still, ACC did not go quietly. The Red Devils closed to 14-7, and then fended off five consecutive match points, before finally succumbing, 25-16.
Even after falling behind quickly, the Red Devils remained positive and confident, Peters said.
“We saw support and teamwork,” she said, “and it looked like a loss we took as a team, not as individuals. That in itself, against a nationally ranked number-one team is something to be proud of.”
Allen had at least 10 kills in all three sets, another reason for optimism, Peters noted.
Sidney Keith led Allen with 11 kills, followed by Danielle Goodman with 10 and Lizzy Huey with six (and no errors). Jessi Sennett and Keith both had two aces. Sarah Charbonneau had 21 digs.
THE LOSS followed a non-conference win Friday over Cottey College of Nevada.
The Red Devils won in straight sets, 25-18, 25-23, 25-17.
Keith, Goodman and Huey each had double-digit kills.
“Every member of our team had an opportunity to play, and contribute to the win,” she said.
Monday
Cowley defeats Allen, 3-0
(25-20, 25-21, 25-16)
Halley Scott, 1 ace, 5 digs, 1 point
Danielle Goodman, 10 kills, 5 digs, 10 points
Sidney Keith, 11 kills, 2 set assists, 2 aces, 18 digs, 1 block assist, 13.5 points
Adriee Munoz, 6 kills, 21 set assists, 8 digs, 6 points
Sarah Webb, 1 set assist, 2 block assists, 1 point
Andonae Magdziarz, 2 kills, 1 dig, 3 block assists, 3.5 points
Ashlyn Myers, 3 set assists, 1 dig
Lizzy Huey, 6 kills, 1 solo block, 7 points
Jessi Sennett, 1 kill, 8 set assists, 2 aces, 6 digs, 3 points
Sarah Charbonneau, 1 set assist, 21 digs
Kelsey Kasson, 1 kill, 1 dig, 1 point
Friday
Allen defeats Cottey, 3-0
25-18, 25-23, 25-17
Scott, 1 ace, 6 digs, 1 point
Goodman, 10 kills, 3 digs, 10 points
Keith, 10 kills, 1 ace, 12 digs, 1 solo block, 1 block assist, 12.5 points
Munoz, 28 set assists, 1 ace, 8 digs, 1 block assist, 1.5 points
Webb, 6 kills, 3 digs, 1 block assist, 6.5 points
Magdziarz, 7 kills, 1 dig, 1 solo block, 8 points
Myers, 3 set assists, 4 digs
Huey, 10 kills, 1 ace, 1 dig, 3 solo blocks, 1 block assist, 14.5 points
Sennett, 8 set assists, 1 dig
Charbonneau, 1 kill, 4 set assists, 1 ace, 19 digs, 2 points
Kasson, 1 kill, 1 point
