“Fight for a cause.”
Allen County Community College’s volleyball team and fans supported breast cancer awareness with a pink-out during Wednesday’s home match. Also the Red Devils were honoring the loss of Greg Rockhold, the father of former ACCC standout Nicole Rockhold, who lost his battle with cancer this week.
Greg Rockhold, who loved ACCC athletics, would have enjoyed the Red Devils’ match with visiting Northeastern Oklahoma of Miami, Okla. Allen County won the match 25-20, 25-15, 25-27, 25-16.
“The first two sets tonight were a lot like the two sets we played last week at NEO,” said Jessica Peters, ACCC head coach. “We played point for point early but then made a little run to get the lead.”
Jacqui Ortiz had a three-point serving run. Makhala Giardina, Jordyne Seichepine and Autumn Douglas were making plays at the net. Allen County moved to an 18-11 lead in the first set.
In the second set, Allen County got possession of the serve on a tip play at the net by Randi Billings to go up 15-12. Alisha Keith went on a six-point run at the service line.
Alli Jenicke’s kill put ACCC in charge 23-15 and she went to the service line. Allen County won the second set with Jenicke serving, but it was a block and a kill at the net by Hayley Mertens to put the finishing touches on it.
“Set 3 was the same scenario but we couldn’t finish. We were waiting for NEO to make a mistake,” Peters said.
“We needed to stop depending on the officials and NEO for points. We turned to each other in the fourth set.”
Peters said there was a wake-up call to Giardina in the fourth set. Giardina’s error on an attack allowed NEO gain the serve.
She took it right back on a kill then went on a tear. Sabrina Stanley was serving and three of the first four points were scored on kills or a block by Giardina.
Allen County was up 21-15. Nicole Reed served an ace and Billings had a kill to give ACCC a 24-14 lead. NEO was able to hold there but served it long to give ACCC the set and match wins.
Stanley served for 14 points in the match; five were on aces. Keith had 10 points served while Billings and Ortiz had eight points each. Billings served up three aces.
Jenicke had nine service points and one ace and Reed had five points and one ace.
At the net, Jenicke put down 14 kills and Giardina had 11 kills. Mertens had nine kills and two solo blocks and one assisted block. Billings had six kills and one solo and one assisted block.
Giardina made two solo blocks. Douglas had one solo block and an assisted block and Jenicke had one assisted block.
Keith was credited with 21 set assists and Ortiz put up 15 assists.
Stanley came up with 27 defensive digs and Jenicke had 21. Reed made 12 digs and Keith had 11 digs.
Allen County lost two matches Tuesday night at Longview Community College. Iowa Western beat ACCC 25-22, 25-19, 25-14 and Longview beat ACCC 26-24, 25-22, 25-14.
Red Devils defeat NEO
