INDEPENDENCE — Iola Middle School’s volleyball teams opened their 2012 season on the road Thursday.
The Pony eighth-grade A-team split matches. The Ponies lost to host Independence 25-19, 25-8 then notched a 25-13, 25-10 win over Coffeyville.
“Our first game jitters got the best of us against Independence,” said Terri Carlin, IMS eighth-grade coach. “We did some big things well but didn’t do some little things well.
“Our talk between matches was about hitting the ball with more power and serving harder.”
Carlin made a few minor changes and that proved to be successful for the IMS eighth-grade team. She said the Ponies had more ace serves and kills in the Coffeyville match.
Against Independence, Della Lohman, Toni Macha and Alexis Heslop each had three aces on serve while Sydney Wade and Riley Murry had two aces each.
At the net, Macha had three kills and Heslop two kills to lead the Ponies. Wade had two set assists.
In the Coffeyville match, Murry, Heslop, Lohman and Wade had four ace serves each. Macha downed four kills and Murry had two kills.
Taylor Stout and Heslop had one kill apiece. Wade made four assists.
Iola’s seventh-grade volleyball A-team lost 25-16, 25-21 to Independence and dropped a 25-18, 25-23 decision to Coffeyville.
“This was the girls’ first opportunity to compete and they did a great job. They are looking forward to our next competition,” said Stacy Sprague, IMS seventh-grade coach.
In the Independence match, Katie Bauer had two service aces and went 75 percent from the service line. Scout Rush had one ace serve. Colbi Riley was 100 percent from the service line and Emma Weseloh was 80 percent.
Rush and Weseloh each had three service aces against Coffeyville.
