Iola High’s Fillies posted the win they were expected to but no more here Thursday in their Southeast Kansas League home opening volleyball matches.
Coffeyville Field Kindley High’s Golden Tornado girls are winless in SEK play and have only one match victory all season. Labette County High’s Grizzlies are in the hunt for the league title and sit at 22-4.
That’s what the Fillies faced going into Thursday night’s action.
The Fillies defeated the Lady ’Nado but it wasn’t easy, 27-25, 25-21. Labette County beat Coffeyville 25-5, 25-18.
Iola got back on the court against Labette County and never really was in the match. The Grizzlies won 25-11, 25-15.
“The difference between our team and Labette County or any other team that has beaten us this year is they hit the floor,” said Jodi Grover, Fillies’ head coach.
“We weren’t going after the ball and we let a lot of balls drop on the floor. Labette players were diving and digging up balls to keep them in play and score points.”
Iola had flashes of what it was capable of during the Coffeyville match. But the first set the Fillies were playing from behind.
Toni Taylor served for three points to move Iola in front 9-7. Coffeyville came back to tie the set at 13-all.
From there it was back and forth, one point at a time for the teams. At 25-25, Taylor was back at the service line and Iola scored the two set winners.
Kelsey Larson opened the second set with a three-point run which included a kill by Kendra Taiclet and an ace serve. Coffeyville stayed close until Taiclet and Kirstin McGuffin had back-to-back three-point service stints bumping Iola up to a 13-8 lead.
Iola had to work for the win, one point at a time from there. Kelsey Adams served up the final point of the match.
“We’re not playing strong consistently. We dig ourselves in a hole and try to get out. Against Coffeyville we did but not against Labette County,” Grover said.
Iola did not serve a point in the first set with Labette County until it was down 12-5. McGuffin served four consecutive points, including an ace and a block by Riana Dolenz.
That was as close as the Fillies got. The Grizzlies served up six-point and four-point runs to seal the first-set win.
With the Fillies trailing 11-7 in the second set, Labette County’s Michaela O’Brien served 10 straight points.
“Yes, we made a run after that but it was too late. We have to come out ready to play better and find that high level of intensity to push past teams,” Grover said.
Iola fought back to outscore Labette County 7-2 but it wasn’t enough. Iola could not put together a string of points serving to catch up.
So with the split in league play at home, the Fillies are 2-4 in SEK action and 7-17 overall. Labette County improved to 5-1 and 24-4 while Coffeyville went to 0-6 and 1-20.
The Fillies are idle over the weekend but have non-league home matches with Girard and Nevada, Mo., Tuesday. Then they host Chanute (5-1, 21-7) and Fort Scott (4-2, 18-11) next Thursday in SEK play.
Larson served for seven points and had four ace serves. McGuffin had seven points and three ace serves and Taylor had seven points and two aces.
Adams served up six points followed by Dolenz with five and Taiclet with four.
At the net, Taiclet downed 12 kills and put up three solo blocks. Dolenz had three solo blocks.
Larson delivered seven kills, Taylor had four kills and Celeste Ambrose had three kills. McGuffin had five digs to lead the Fillies.
Taylor and Larson each were credited with 10 set assists.
Iola’s junior varsity had the same result at home Thursday. The Fillies beat Coffeyville 25-14, 26-28, 15-13 and lost to Labette County 25-13, 25-22.
“We won the first set against Coffeyville then lost intensity in the second set but were able to hold on for the win,” said Casey Greenwood, IHS assistant coach.
“We played with better intensity in the second set against Labette County.”
In the Coffeyville match, Tori Snavely served six aces as she was 15 of 17 serving. She also had six set assists, four digs and six kills. Katie Thompson had four kills, a solo block at the net and eight digs and four service aces.
Libby Shay put down five kills and had one solo block plus served three aces, made three digs and had four set assists. Alyssa Zimmerman had two kills, five digs and one service ace.
Paige Miller had one kill, one assist and one dig. Emma Sigg had one kill, 10 digs, one assist and one ace serve. Essence Owens had two digs.
Against Labette County, Snavely, Thompson, Zimmerman, Sigg and Hannah Barclay each had a kill. Shay served two aces and had a solo block at the net.
Sigg came up with six digs while Snavely and Zimmerman each had four digs. Thompson had three digs.
Miller had two digs and Barclay had one dig. Snavely made three set assists and Shay had two assists.
