Warriors split pair of home games
Oakley Armstrong saves the ball in the back court in Central's win over West Central. (Photos by Willis Patenaude)
Lizzy Royer records one of her 12 digs in the loss to South Winneshiek.
Brandi Herman (left) elevates for a block attempt versus South Winn.
Maci Keppler digs out a ball in the Pink Out Night match.
Tessa Sylvester prepares to set the ball in the loss to South Winn.
By Willis Patenaude | Times-Register
Central got a bit of a travel break last week with two home volleyball games, starting Oct. 8 versus South Winneshiek for Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness.
The Warriors struggled offensively, recording 30 hitting errors as a team while only managing 19 kills.
“Our serve receive also posed challenges, with more errors than we usually experience, contributing to the overall difficulties of the match,” said coach Kelly Erickson.
Central also had difficulties with team communication, errant returns that sent balls well out of bounds and missed blocks, which led to a set two loss. Though Central rallied in the third set, South Winneshiek was able to take advantage of service errors and ultimately win in straight sets, 25-11, 25-21 and 25-17.
“Although we started off slow in the first set, the team showed improvement throughout the evening, particularly in the second and third sets. Despite the loss, the players worked hard to adjust and make improvements as the match progressed, demonstrating resilience and a willingness to keep fighting until the end,” Erickson noted.
The Warriors hit the team goal of 90 percent serving, which provides “a solid foundation to build upon for future matches,” Erickson said.
Serving particularly well were Alivia Wiley, who went 9-9, and Reese Berns, who went 7-7.
“Their strong, consistent serves helped keep us on track with our serving goal and were a bright spot in the match despite the overall outcome. Their performance at the service line was a key positive take away from the game,” Erickson said.
Katie Royer contributed 14 assists and set up numerous scoring opportunities. Also leading the team on offense was Tori Sylvester, who recorded six kills, followed closely by Berns with five and Wiley with three. Oakley Armstrong added two assists and three kills.
On defense, Brylee Erickson led the team with 18 digs, followed by Royer with 12 and Tori Sylvester 10. Wiley contributed nine digs and Armstrong finished with four.
“Their strong defensive efforts helped keep rallies alive and showcased their determination to fight for every point, even in a challenging match,” Erickson said.
On Oct. 10, the Warriors celebrated senior night against the West Central Blue Devils. Central solidly won the first set, 25-13, and though the scores were closer for the final two sets, the Warriors held on for the win 25-20 and 25-21.
“We significantly reduced our hitting errors, committing only 18 across the three sets, which contributed to our offensive success. However, our serving wasn’t as sharp as usual, with the team serving at 88 percent, just below our 90 percent goal,” Erickson said.
Wiley served well again, going 21-23 with three aces. Berns went 14-16 with three aces.
“Their consistent performance at the service line helped us gain crucial points and maintain momentum throughout the match,” Erickson said.
Royer continued to be a crucial piece in setting up the offense, finishing with 14 assists and adding six digs and four kills to the stat sheet. Leading the way on offense was Tori Sylvester with six kills, followed by Armstrong with five. Tessa Sylvester, Berns and Wiley each had two kills.
“Their collective efforts were key to our offensive success, helping secure the win in three sets,” Erickson said.
Defensively, Tori Sylvester led the team with 12 digs, and Erickson finished with 10. Wiley added eight digs, followed by Tessa Sylvester and Armstrong with five apiece.
“Their strong defensive performances helped keep rallies alive and solidified our overall team effort in the match,” Erickson said.
The Warriors sit in fourth place in the Upper Iowa Conference with a 4-2 record and finished up conference play against the first place North Fayette Valley TigerHawks on Oct. 15.
“It’s an important opportunity for us to build on our recent successes and continue improving as we head into the final stretch of the season. We’re looking forward to the challenge and hope to carry our momentum into the match,” Erickson said.
