Cottey drops two at Labette, but makes progress

Nevada Daily Mail

PARSONS, Kan. --The Cottey College volleyball team continues to make progress, Coach Marla Kannady Foreman said.

The Comets competed at Labette Community College on Saturday.

Enid defeated Cottey 25-16, 20-25, 25-17, 15-25, 15-10.

"Game two and four and five were good games for the most part," Foreman said. "We are still learning to stay in a plan during the entire game, not just in spurts.. In game five, we had them down 10-9, and proceeded to give up a 0-6 run for Enid to claim the victory. I told my players afterward, that they just didn't want it as bad as the other team did. I'm sure that statement didn't set well with them, as I know with our record, you would think they are wanting a win bad enough to fight for it. However, its not our skill that looses the match as much as the mental process we have at the end of a close game. Once we unlock the key to that, we will claim those tight game/match point rallies."

Sam Pierce had 11 kills, Lindsey Aldridge had 10 and Kristina Coverdell had eight for the Comets. Taylor McCue had 17 assists, Pierce added seven and Bailie Turgeon and Coverdell chipped in five apiece. Alexis Self had five aces, Rachel Massey had three, while McCue and Coverdell had two apiece. Pierce and Katelin Crane had three blocks, with Aldridge and Self contributing two apiece. Massey had 17 digs, Kymee Bair had 12 and McCue added 11.

Next, Labette edged Cottey 7-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 17-15.

"In the first two games, we had all the momentum going for us," Foreman said. "I am very pleased with the way my players took their anger from the loss against Enid, and put it to a good and positive use in accomplishing a 25-7 victory over Labette at Labette. They continued to own it in game two as well. We could have easily felt sorry for ourselves, and given up, especially with the way our season has gone with our win-loss record. As games three, four, and five came along, Labette seemed to have a different attitude about taking another loss to us, and really stepped their games up. Even so, my players fought the good fight, as you can see in the numbers. All three of the last three games were very close, in that it was anybody's game for most of the time. We made a couple of bad choices in a row in game three late in the game, that helped Labette feel good about getting us in that game. We had them down 23-22 in game four and lost the next three points. In game five, it stayed a back and forth battle until Labette claimed the last two points off of poor choices on our part. At least I could see that my players fought harder in the end during game five of match two of the night, versus late in game five against Enid. That means progress, and I will take it at this point in our season."

Against Labette, Pierce and Aldridge had 11 kills apiece, Crane had eight, while Self and Coverdell had seven kills apiece. McCue had 20 assists and Coverdell added 14. Self had eight assists and five aces.

Crane had five blocks at the net, Pierce had four and Aldridge added three. Massey had 18 digs, Self had 17, while Bair and Coverdell had 13 digs apiece.

Cottey is home on Friday night against Baptist Bible at 6:30 p.m.