CHANUTE — Two wins and a third meeting with host Royster Middle School’s Rockets, Iola Middle School’s Ponies played for the Royster tournament title Monday night.
The Rockets were able to hold court and defeated the Ponies 25-14, 25-17.
Iola’s eighth-grade volleyball players walked out of RMS gym with silver medals to end their 2012 season.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to coach,” said Terri Carlin, IMS eighth-grade coach. “We knew that this (the Royster match) was going to be a tough one.”
In the championship match, Jadyn Sigg had three kills for Iola while Toni Macha delivered two kills. Sydney Wade, Alexis Heslop, Riley Murry and Della Lohman each had one kill. Wade served two aces and Macha had one ace serve.
Heslop put up four set assists and Wade had two assists. Carlin said Brook Storrer and Taylor Stout came off the bench and did a great job passing the ball.
The Ponies opened with a 25-8, 25-13 win over Independence. Macha racked up eight kills at the net and had two ace serves. Heslop had two kills, made three set assists and served four aces.
Wade had six assists in the match. Sigg put down two kills and serve three aces. Lowman had one kill and three ace serves.
Iola came a way with a 17-25, 25-21, 15-11 against Meadowview of Parsons. Macha put down seven kills and served five aces. Murry downed five kills and had one assist.
“Our setters — Alexis and Sydney — did a tremendous job at putting the ball where our hitters could attack. They both had five assists and three kills,” Carlin said. “Tony had a great night at the net.”
Lohman and Sigg had two kills against Meadowview and Sigg had two ace serves. Rylee Knavely had some great digs along with one ace serve, Carlin said.
