Iola Middle School’s volleyball teams served up plenty of smiles — and victories — Thursday.
In eighth-grade action, Iola’s A team won a best-of-five thriller over visiting Anderson County.
The Mustangs did so in come from behind fashion, after dropping two of the first three sets.
With their backs to the wall, the IMS eighth-graders won the fourth and fifth sets to secure the 20-25, 25-13, 21-15, 25-17 and 15-9 match.
The eighth-grade B and C teams also fared well. The B team rallied to earn a two-set split, dropping the first set, 25-21, but rallying for a thrilling 26-24 win in the second.
The Mustang C team won both of its sets, 25-20 and 25-16.
I am really proud of the girls and they played very well,” Mustang head coach Stacy Sprague said. “There’s a learning curve on many aspects of the game for our C and B teams. I am looking forward to them becoming competitors. They really impressed me tonight.
“The A team played well together,” she continued. “They will continue to improve and learn to trust each other on the court.”
Kashyn Curry delivered 11 service aces to lead the way, followed by Haidyn Desmarteau with eight, Hannah Thompson with six, Kinzley Fountain with four and Lily Jerome and Breighlynn Rutherford with three.
Sprague counted up 28 good passes from Fountain, 26 from Jerome, 25 from Curry, 14 from Desmarteau, 10 from Thompson and eight from Camryn Wille.
Rutherford and Kailyn Rodriguez each had four service aces in the B team split. Macie Stokes-Huntsinger had eight good passes, while Bayleigh Scheibmeir had six.
Stokes-Huntsinger had eight service aces for the C team. Sophia Doty chipped in with six and Danika Hill and Mary Burris each had four. Rutherford had six quality passes; Doty and Burris both had four.
THE MUSTANG seventh-graders swept their three matches against the Bulldogs.
The A team won a back-and-forth thriller that went the full five sets — and four of the five sets were decided by two points — 25-27, 25-23, 23-25, 25-15 and 15-13.
Leading the way were Cora Boren, who racked up 13 service aces and 15 good passes; Hilary Gean had eight service aces and 19 good passes, while Moria Springer had five aces and 18 good passes and Keira Goranson notched eight aces and six good passes. Ember Friend had 15 good passes and Moran Mathis six.
The B team swept its two sets, 25-14 and 25-13, as did the C team, 25-16 and 25-17.
