The middle school volleyball season is ending with a rush for the Iola, Humboldt and Marmaton Valley teams.
On top of their final regular-season matches the past two weeks, the schools also gathered in Iola for the IMS Net Games Tournament Saturday.
Each of the teams played four matches of two sets apiece, regardless of the outcome.
Iola’s first match was a 25-12 and 25-24 loss to Royster. (Matches did not require a two-point spread, either.)
Dally Curry led the Mustangs with six aces, while Sheridan Byrd and Kaydra Scheibmeir had four apiece. Zoie Hesse had three attacks; Brooklyn Holloway added two. Byrd and Hesse added two and one assist, respectively.
Head coach Aubrey Westhoff is optimistic Iola can play well against Chanute when the Mustangs play the Rockets again Thursday to wrap up the season.
“They did an excellent job,” she said.
Iola won both against Marmaton Valley, 25-23 and 25-13.
Curry and Byrd led the way with nine and six aces, respectively. Holloway added five, Scheibmeir three, Emma Michael two and Kinsey Jelinek and Abigail Jerome one each.
Holloway had four attacks and Hesse had one. Curry had the team’s only assist.
“The girls did such a good job of playing as a team,” Westhoff said.
Iola split a pair of hotly contested sets with Humboldt, losing, 25-23 in the first and winning 25-24 in the finale.
Jelinek and Michael each had five aces. Curry had one.
Holloway had four attacks and Curry two.
“Both teams did amazing this match,” Westhoff said. “Watching our girls moving, talking, and making plays was a great sight to see.”
