Fillies’ volleyball team falters at Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT — Iola High’s Fillies dropped two non-league volleyball matches Thursday.
Host Fort Scott High’s Tigers defeated the Fillies 25-12, 25-11. The Fillies battled with Prairie View High’s Buffalos but the Buffalos won 26-24, 21-25, 25-15.
“In the first set against Fort Scott, we allowed their first serve a run of five points. We got down 9-1 and were never really in the set,” said Jodi Grover, Fillies’ head coach. “We just could not get flowing with an offense since the team was struggling to pass.
“It’s time for the players to step it up. We’re making the same mistakes and we need to correct those.”
Iola and Fort Scott were close at 11-10 in the second set. Fort Scott rattled off 12 straight points.
Grover said she used Tori Snavely and Kyra Moore as setters in the Fort Scott match. Against Prairie View, she went to Moore and Libby Shay setting and used Snavely and Emma Sigg to play the back row.
“Tori did an amazing job in back row hustling to keep the ball in play. I pulled Emma up from junior varsity and she did a great job,” Grover said.
“Even though Emma and Tori were new to those spots for varsity play, the chemistry was better for the overall offensive part of our game.”
Grover said the passing and serve-receive aspects improved in the second match. That allowed the Fillies to get the ball set up for their hitters to deliver at the net.
Kendra Taiclet ended up with 14 kills on the night. She had five solo blocks at the net and one assisted block. Riana Dolenz had six kills and three solo blocks.
Kelsey Adams, Celeste Ambrose and Emery Driskel each had a kill. Moore had seven set assists and Shay had six set assists.
Ambrose came up with five digs and Taiclet had three digs. Snavely, Sigg and Shay each had two digs. Snavely had a service ace.
Iola’s junior varsity took its first loss of the season, a 25-21, 25-10 decision to Fort Scott. It bounced back with a 25-23, 25-20 win over Prairie View.
On the night, Katie Thompson and Chanel Coyne each put down eight kills and Emma Sigg had three kills. Reagan Ford, Breanna Stout and Hannah Endicott had two kills each. With one kill each were Mackenzie Weseloh, Paige Miller and Karlie Lower.
Weseloh was credited with 10 set assists and Lower had nine. Thompson and Weseloh each had four ace serves, Endicott had two aces and Lower had one ace.
Halie Cleaver made 13 digs while Sigg and Allie Cleaver had five digs each. Weseloh and Lower had three digs apiece and Endicott made two digs.
Halie Cleaver, Allie Cleaver and Sigg were the top passers for Iola in the two matches. Iola only missed two serves on the night.
Iola’s varsity hosts Louisburg this coming Thursday while the junior varsity goes to Garnett.