CARBONDALE — The Iola Ponies seventh-grade A-Team was able to earn a 3-1 victory over Santa Fe Trail on Monday.
The Ponies won the first two sets, 25-17 and 25-19, over the Chargers to take a commanding lead in the match.
Santa Fe Trail was able to respond with a 25-22 third set victory.
Iola coach Stacy Sprague blamed the third-set performance on a lack of communication and that the team “had several incidents of not talking and letting the ball fall in the middle of us.”
In the fourth set, the Ponies were able to play well and put the match away with a 25-22 set win.
Reece Murry set the tone for the Ponies in the match. Murry led the team in hits and also was the team leader with 21 serves in-play.
Jenna Curry also had a big game in her second game day back from a previous concussion. Curry had 18 serves in-play in the four sets.
Miah Shelby was stellar with her serve by serving 13-of-14 in-play.
Sprague also was very complementary of the contributions Logan Ulrich, Ally Ellis and Chloe Sell made to help the team earn the victory.
SEVENTH-GRADE
B-TEAM
The seventh-grade B-Team was also able to earn a victory on Monday over Santa Fe Trail.
The Ponies dropped the opening set to the Chargers, 25-14.
Iola was able to bounce back with 25-20 victory in the second set and won the match with a 15-8 third-set win.
Laura Newkirk was the top server for the Ponies with 13 of her 15 serves being in play.
Mariah VanNice also was able to get 13 of her serves in-play.
Vivian Noah and Harper Gregg also had a strong day from the service line.
SEVENTH-GRADE
C-TEAM
The seventh-grade C-Team only played two sets on Monday and they split with Santa Fe Trail.
The Chargers won the first set 25-13, but Iola took the second set 25-18.
Tamera Roach and Jenise Holding each played well to help the Ponies earn the second-set win.
Sprague expressed after the match that she has been very pleased with the development of the C-Team this season and that she has been impressed with its improvement.
EIGHTH-GRADE
A-TEAM
The Iola eighth-grade A-Team did not enjoy the same success that its seven-grade schoolmates had.
They fell in straight-sets to the Chargers on Monday, 25-22, 25-21 and 25-15.
“We were right in each set, but just couldn’t put the pall away when we need to,” Iola coach Terri Carlin said. “Our serve-recieve was weak and in each set, Santa Fe Trail got onto a serving roll.”
Becca Sprague was able to continue her strong season with another good all-around night on Monday. She finished with nine aces, two kills and an assist.
Jenna Miller was second on the team with five aces while Hannah Gardner and Aaliyah Blazek each had a pair of aces.
Blazek also contributed two kills.
EIGHTH-GRADE
B-TEAM
The eighth-grade B-Team was able to make quick work of the Chargers with a straight-set victory on Monday.
The Ponies won 25-19 and 25-15 behind the excellent serving of Taylor Johnson, who finished with five aces.
Hannah Gardner, Jada Cunningham, Jocelyn Erbert and Orear each also had an ace.
Britain Folk finished the game with a team-high four kills and Sidney Shelby added three kills while McKenna Orear had two. Erbert also notched a kill.
Orear and Shelby each had three assists.
EIGHTH-GRADE
C-TEAM
The Iola eighth-grade C-Team lost in straight sets, 25-21 and 25-20 to Santa Fe Trail on Monday.
The team was led by Kelsie Finley, who had four aces.
Destiny Henry also had a strong showing with three aces.
McKenna Orear had two ace serves while Danae Cartright and Rebecca Wood each added one.
