MOUND CITY — The Crest High School Lady Lancers remain in the hunt for a Three Rivers League title after splitting Monday’s triangular against TRL foes Southern Coffey County and Jayhawk-Linn.
After sweeping the Lady Titans 25-17 and 25-9, the Lady Lancers fell to the Jayhawks, but not without taking a set from a team that came into Monday’s contest undefeated in league play.
“There were some good moments, but also some bad,” Crest coach Carly Crow said. “That’s volleyball, and it shows you where you need to work. We know we’re capable, and I hope we see them again. It’s always a fun matchup. They’re all-around solid players.”
After falling in the first set to Jayhawk-Linn 25-14, the Lady Lancers rallied in the second to set up a match point off an ace by junior libero Harlowe Rush. An errant shot decided the second set in Crest’s favor, 25-21.
Crest fell in the third set after holding their own early, succumbing to a Jayhawk-Linn rally for a 25-17 loss.
“There’s always next time,” Crest senior outside hitter Kailyn Nilges said. “The emotions were high after the second set. We thought we could win this one, but not tonight. We have good chemistry. We just have to put all the steps together and find our groove.”
Following Monday’s action, the Lady Lancers have a 5-8 record and 4-2 in league play. Crest will have plenty of time to set itself apart in the standings with four opponents slated over the coming week.
“Saturday, we started off with a brand-new rotation,” Crow said. “We have some young players and we’re trying to figure out how they fit with us. Our tournament in Humboldt helped us figure out that rotation — what worked and what didn’t — and today we just figured it out a little more.”
Crow believes facing tough opponents benefits more in the future than building confidence by rolling chump teams for easy wins.
“I would rather play tough teams and lose than play teams we pick up sloppy habits against,” Crow said. “For me, it’s not necessarily about the wins. Wins will come, but being able to play against competitive teams challenges us and that’s where growth happens.”
As for Southern Coffey County, the Lady Titans continue searching for their first win. Although they left without a victory Monday, SCC did have a few strong individual performances. Following their 25-5 and 25-10 loss to Jayhawk-Linn, junior right side hitter Layla Decker, freshman middle hitter Brooke Marlow and freshman middle hitter Madalynn Garretson each tied for the team lead in kills with one each. Sophomore outside hitter Alexis Reidinger had a team-leading two digs, followed by senior Hailey Honn with one.
The Lady Titans experienced an offensive uptick against Crest. Marlow and Garreston tied for the team lead in kills with one each. Reidinger picked up a team-leading four aces, followed by Garreston and Decker with one each. Reidinger also had one dig.
The Lady Lancers travel to face the Chetopa Hornets and the Northeast Vikings for a triangular in Chetopa Tuesday. Southern Coffey County also returns to the hardwood Tuesday for a game against Central Heights. First serve is set for 5 p.m.
