Playing competitively at home for the first time this season, Iola Middle School’s volleyball teams dropped four matches Thursday.
The IMS eighth-grade A-team and visiting Pittsburg Community Middle School’s Purple Dragons went three sets. Pittsburg won 25-18, 18-25, 15-12.
“We lost a heartbreaker. Pittsburg had some great servers and hitters. We did a pretty good job passing the ball,” said Terri Carlin, IMS eighth-grade coach.
Carlin said after losing the first set, the Ponies did a great job to win the second set. She said the Ponies just couldn’t manage to finish in the end.
Down 11-4 in the third set, Brook Storrer came off the bench to serve seven straight points to tie the score. Iola wasn’t able to keep the momentum, losing 15-12 in the deciding set.
Toni Macha delivered six kills at the net while Della Lohman had two kills. Alexis Heslop and Storrer each had one kill.
Jadyn Sigg and Storrer each had two ace serves. Riley Murry and Sydney Wade had one ace serve apiece. Wade and Storrer each had two set assists.
In the eighth-grade B-team match, Pittsburg beat Iola 25-5, 25-21. Pittsburg had a good server to open the match and “we weren’t passing the ball and in the second set we got better,” Carlin said.
Storrer had two service aces and Sigg had one ace. They each had a kill at the net. Taylor Stout had one set assist.
“Bailey Hubbs came in and made some great plays. She really hustled for us,” Carlin said.
Iola’s seventh-grade A-team lost 25-16, 25-19. IMS seventh-grade coach Stacy Sprague said the Ponies lost at least 13 points to Pittsburg on serving errors.
“Madison Carlin and Karly McGuffin stepped up and made several key plays passing the ball with awesome accuracy,” Sprague said.
‘The B-team played an awesome match against Pittsburg. All the girls played well.”
Iola’s B-team lost to Pittsburg in three sets. Pittsburg won 25-17, 18-25, 15-12.
Sophie Whitney served 70 percent with one ace serve for the Ponies. Olivia Taylor was at 89 percent serving and Anna Anderson served at 75 percent.
