GARNETT — Not going down without a fight were Iola High’s Fillies Saturday at the Kansas Class 4A Substate Volleyball Tournament at Anderson County High School.
Top-seeded Chanute High’s Blue Comets had blasted the Fillies in the first set of their opening-round match. Chanute was serving to begin the second set but Iola’s defense was good enough to score the point.
It was a point-for-point set. Kendra Taiclet’s kill with Libby Shay serving put the Fillies up 5-3. Iola was either up by one or tied with Chanute through 12 points. Celeste Ambrose and Shay each had defensive kills for the Fillies. Taiclet helped score points with a kill as Riana Dolenz served and a solo block with Katie Thompson at the service line.
Chanute used two small service runs of four points and three points to pull away from the Fillies. The Blue Comets were up 23-16 when Emery Driskel made a kill at net for the Fillies.
Kyle Moore served two points but the Blue Comets stopped the run scoring a point for a 24-19 lead. The Fillies weren’t ready to go just yet. They prevented Chanute from getting the winning point and Keli Lee served up a point.
The hard hitting Blue Comets nailed a kill that ended the set, the match and the Fillies’ 2011 volleyball season. Chanute beat Iola 25-8, 25-21. The Blue Comets (34-3) went on to beat Fort Scott 25-17, 25-16 in the championship match Saturday and earned a berth in the Class 4A state tournament.
Taiclet, Ambrose, Dolenz and Kelsey Adams, who was suited up but still hampered by ankle injury, finished their IHS volleyball careers Saturday. The Fillies ended up 7-26 overall.
No individual statistics were available at press time. A wrap-up of the Fillies’ action will be in Tuesday’s Register.
Fillies fall in substate play
