MORAN Eat it! screamed the Marmaton Valley girls after senior Bailey Griffith killed a ball to give the Wildcats a late advantage against Uniontown, and ultimately carried them to victory.
The win against Uniontown made up for their loss against Chetopa earlier in the evening. Despite the 1-1 split, head coach Terra Kegler had nothing but praise for her Wildcats.
I was proud of how we played against Chetopa, because they are a really good team, Kegler said. We have tweaked some of our rotations with the girls, and tonight I felt we were finally working better together. We have more confidence, the girls are more comfortable in their positions, and we have a lot better attitude.
Chetopa came into Tuesday with a perfect 7-0 record in the Three Rivers League, and the Wildcats stood at 4-3. Chetopa took the first set 25-16, and the second 25-22. Griffith was a force for the Wildcats at the net, earning five kills. Kayla Ard complimented Griffith with two kills, and added three blocks to lead the Wildcats defensively.
In the Wildcats second match against Uniontown, they cruised to a first-set win 25-16, but had to pull out a tightly contested second set victory. The Wildcats led 23-19, but saw their lead diminish on a late run by the Eagles. At one point, the Wildcats trailed 26-25, but hunkered down for the 29-27 victory. Griffith was superb once again for the Wildcats, picking up 11 kills and one block. Kayla Ard chipped in two kills along with two blocks, and sister Aly, added seven kills.
Griffith has been the piston pumping the Wildcats all season long.
Sometimes she rushes on her hits, but when her timing is down, she is deadly, Kegler said. She can jump, and is a very athletic kid.
When Marmaton Valley is in a groove, they play with smiles on their faces and the right attitude that high school volleyball should be played. Kegler admits that occasionally frustrations kick in, but at the moment, the Wildcats are heading in the right direction.
If the girls keep playing with confidence, and playing together, then we will get more wins, Kegler said. Now is the right time to peak, and I would rather peak now than earlier on in the season.
CREST
Head coach Abigail Hermreck described Tuesday as a rough evening for the Lady Lancers. Crest lost both games to Yates Center and Jayhawk-Linn in two sets, and struggled to get their offense in gear.
We struggled to put the ball away and anticipate on defense. There are definitely frustrations and we are continuing to learn to work through mistakes. Mental toughness and recovery are not learned overnight, Hermreck said. All we can do is continue to work hard, support each other, and never give up. No one is ever happy about losing, but that is never an excuse to throw in the towel.
Lindsey Godderz and Aubree Holloran both provided 100% serve rates, and McKenna Hammond led with eight digs. The Lady Lancers will finish the regular season next Tuesday at home against Marmaton Valley.
