Butler does in ACC Red Devils

Sports

August 29, 2013 - 12:00 AM

EL DORADO — In a match filled with wild momentum swings, Allen Community College’s volleyball team never could get over the proverbial hump Wednesday.
The Red Devils battled host Butler toe to toe through the first two sets, even taking a quick 8-1 lead in their first set, before the  Grizzlies found their answers with a formidable front line.
Butler garnered a straight-set victory, 25-22, 25-21, 25-12, to open the season for the Red Devils.
“We saw a lot of good things,” ACC head coach Jessica Peters said. “We minimized a lot of serve and block errors, and didn’t give many points away in those areas.”
Butler’s victory was anything but routine.
Allen’s quick start in the opening set gave the Red Devils a 9-3 lead with the serving of Adriee Munoz and Halley Scott, before Butler came storming back to eventually take a 16-15 lead.
The set went back and forth from there, before a late service error for the Red Devils gave Butler a 25-22 win.
“Set 2 is where the adrenaline wore off and their true ability started,” Peters said.
The Grizzlies have four players listed at 6 foot, and took full advantage of their height, with several blocks and thundering kills to keep the Red Devils at bay.
Butler raced to leads of 8-0 and 13-3, courtesy of a handful of reception errors and Grizzly blockers.
Allen switched to attack mode and stormed back, taking a 19-18 lead at one point. The teams were knotted at 21-21 when Butler closed the set with a four-point run to win.
“It was anyone’s game at that point, but with rotational substitutions and a few unforced errors, the loss again was ours,” Peters said.
Butler didn’t look back from there, racing to a 7-0 lead in the third game and holding on from there.
“We got some first-game jitters out of the way, and are coming back with some very positive things to improve upon,” Peters said. “I mean what I said about this team. We are going to pose a threat when we reach our peak this season. We plan to challenge the top teams in our conference, and I think we saw a glimpse of that this evening. This is the start to what we hope to be a very solid season.”
Individual statistics from the match were unavailable by press time.
The Red Devils are off this weekend before traveling to Independence next Wednesday in another Jayhawk Conference match. A tournament follows at Highland the following weekend.
Allen will host its home-opener Sept. 11 against Highland.

Related
March 8, 2021
February 4, 2020
January 16, 2020
August 30, 2012