MOUND CITY — Crest, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center High’s volleyball teams received a heavy dose Saturday of Three Rivers League action to start the 2023 season.
After Yates Center edged Crest in an early nailbiter, 19-25, 25-17 and 26-24 in the tie-breaker, the Lady Lancers fell to host Jayhawk-Linn 25-13 and 25-19.
Crest rebounded nicely from there, defeating St. Paul (25-23 and 25-20), Uniontown (25-15- and 25-21), Oswego (25-13 and 25-14) and Marmaton Valley (25-23 and 28-26).
“We had some really great moments, but didn’t play anywhere near our potential as a team,” Crest head coach Abigail Hermreck said. “We have to do better with out-of-system balls and consistency with our offense.
“We have four players who have never started varsity and they are coming along fast,” she said. “It is very exciting to know that we are only getting better with how hard these girls work.”
While many of Crest’s stats were unavailable by press time — Coach Hermreck’s tablet went down early in the day — Hermreck was able to compile serving stats. Sophomore Kaelin Nilges led the team with a 90% success rate (44 of 49). Brooklynn Jones was next at 89% (24 of 27) and Kayla Hermreck at 86% (42 of 49).
MARMATON Valley and Yates Center both recorded up-and-down days in the season-opening tournament. Each went 3-3.
Marmaton Valley dropped a tough three-set match to Southeast, 25-12, 23-25 and 25-15, before bouncing back with three straight wins, 25-22 and 25-13 over Pleasanton, 25-8 and 25-11 over Altoona-Midway and 25-17 and 25-7 over Chetopa.
The day ended on a sour note, with a loss to both Northeast (25-13 and 25-21) and the aforementioned defeat at the hands of Crest.
YATES CENTER followed its early thriller over Crest with a second win, 25-14 and 25-21 over St. Paul.
But Oswego proved to be a formidable foe, downing YC 25-8 and 25-22.
The Wildcats then dropped a heartbreaker to Northeast, winning the first set, 25-16, but losing a pair thrillers, 25-23 in the second and 26-24 in the tiebreaker.
Yates Center made quick work of Uniontown, 25-13 and 25-14, but dropped its final match of the day to host Jayhawk-Linn in straight sets, 25-23 and 25-19.
Individual statistics from Marmaton Valley and Yates Center were unavailable.
Marmaton Valley and Crest won’t have to wait long for a rematch. Both are in Hartford Tuesday. Yates Center is at West Elk Tuesday.
