Volleyball is not all about what happens at the net. The ability to pass the ball from the back row forward is critical to execution at the net.
Iola High’s Fillies were on both ends of shaky serve receive in their home opener of 2010 Thursday.
“We took advantage of Prairie View’s inability to receive serve and executed kills on free balls sent over the net,” said Jodi Grover, Fillies’ head coach.
“Fort Scott took advantage of our breakdown in serve receive during the second game of that match.”
The Fillies went 1-1 on the night. The Fillies defeated Prairie View High’s Buffalos 25-9, 25-20.
But facing one of the top teams in the Southeast Kansas League coming into the season, the Fillies stumbled against Fort Scott. The Tigers won 25-18, 25-16. Fort Scott beat Prairie View 25-12, 25-19.
“I’m still seeing such great things from the girls. With only three returners — two of those playing all the way around — we are still learning the court around each other and still understanding key points of the game and how to improve for the next match,” Grover said.
Kelsey Larson is getting the hang of the jump serve. She had five non-returnable serves to open the Prairie View match for the Fillies. Carly Mulsow was the next serve up for Iola.
Guess what. She served six straight as Toni Taylor and Kendra Taiclet controlled the net. Iola was up 19-9 in the first game when Kirstin McGuffin toed the service line.
McGuffin served out the game with the final six points. The game point came on a block by Riana Dolenz.
Iola was a bit slower getting the advantage in the second game. When it was 9-9, Dolenz served four straight points but the Buffalos came back, taking an 18-16 lead.
Taiclet had a tip to score a defensive point then served the next five for Iola. Iola gave up just two more points, winning 25-20.
“Everything we practiced this week, we were able to implement and concentrate on positioning and reading the ball,” Grover said.
With serving by Taiclet and Taylor and net work from Dolenz, the Fillies took an 11-8 lead over Fort Scott in the first game.
The Tigers had a six-point run at the service line. McGuffin and the Fillies answered with three consecutive points.
Iola led 18-17 when Kenzie Heatherly stepped to the service line for the Tigers. Heatherly served out the game — eight straight points.
“Knowing Fort Scott was going to start the second game with the same server, I started in a different rotation. We worked on serve receive in this rotation so I was confident we’d be alright,” Grover.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. Heatherly ripped off 13 straight points to open the second game. Grover said the Fillies regressed back to old habits of not moving and positioning the ball to set it up for a kill.
“At the time, Kelsey Larson was the setter and we had her all over the floor. I subbed and called both timeouts in this 13-point run,” Grover said. “Once we got the ball back and rotated with Kendra hitting and taking advantage of the front row, we outscored Fort Scott.
“But we were too far in a hole to dig out.”
Iola came back to within eight, 18-10. Against a strong team like Fort Scott, that’s a long climb back.
Taylor served six points in that match. Taiclet and McGuffin had four points each and Dolenz had three. Larson and Mulsow each had two points.
For the night, Dolenz had eight kills and three blocks at the net for the Fillies. Taiclet had six kills and three solo blocks. Larson downed four kills while Adams and Taylor each had two kills.
Larson was credited with 12 set assists and six ace serves. Taylor had five set assists.
Taiclet came up with eight digs. Mulsow had four digs, two ace serves and a kill.
IOLA’S JUNIOR varsity also went 1-1 Thursday at home. The Fillies defeated Prairie View 25-17, 25-18 but lost to Fort Scott 25-16, 25-21.
“Our serving and passing were good in both matches. Everyone contributed,” said Casey Greenwood, IHS assistant coach. “The girls are becoming more aware of each of their roles on the court. The communicating and leadership is growing.”
Against Prairie View, Tori Snavely led the serving with six aces and Celeste Ambrose had two aces. Katie Thompson had two kills and three solo blocks at the net. Ambrose had two kills and two solo blocks and Paige Miller had two kills. Emma Sigg had one solo block and Keli Lee had one kill.
Greenwood said the Fillies were cold after sitting into playing form to start the Fort Scott match. She said they battled the Tigers in the second game.
The Fillies only had one bad serve in the match as Snavely, Sigg, Thompson, Ambrose and Essence Owens were perfect at the service line.
Ambrose downed two kills and made two solo blocks. Thompson and Snavely each had one kill. Miller and Hannah Barclay each had a kill and a solo block.
Next Thursday, the Iola varsity travels to Louisburg while the junior varsity is at Anderson County in Garnett.
The Fillies’ varsity hosts the IHS Invitational Sept. 11.
Fillies beat Buffalos, fall to Tigers
