Cottey competes in Iowa volleyball tournament

After winning one of four games between Sept. 3-5, the Cottey Comets are now 2-6 overall.

Against Longview Sept. 3 in Lee's Summit, Cottey fell in four sets: 25-7, (25-23), 25-16, and 25-20.

For the match, Cottey recorded 64 digs, 37 kills, seven blocks, and two aces. The Comets however, had 18 hitting errors, 13 serve-receiver errors, nine setting errors, and hitting percentages of -6 percent, 38 percent, 17 percent, and 6 percent.

"We have to get a handle on our hitting percentage and how it fluctuates with each set we play," Cottey head coach Marla Kannady-Foreman said. "We can have 38 percent for one game and a negative hitting percentage in the next set.

"We have way too much variation in our hitting success at this time, even though we have very capable hitters. Our setters need to be more consistent on their delivery, and we are working on that in each practice."

Individual stats

Digs: Melanie Dillon 17, Katherine Brockus, 16; Morgan Taylor, 9. Kills: Taylor 13; Ann Lipscomb, 8; Madelyn Underwood, four; Tabitha Jackson, four. Blocks: Underwood, three, Lipscomb, two; Dillon, two. Assists: Anjoline Bozeman, 15; Dillon, 12. Aces: Bozeman, 2. Hitting percentage: Dillon, 29 percent.

Iowa tournament hosted by Faith Baptist Bible College

The Comets fell Sept. 4 to Otterburne, Manitoba, Ankeny, Iowa to Providence University. Providence University is located in Otterburne, Manitoba.

The Comets won the first set 25-20, then dropped the next three sets 25-22, 25-18, and 25-21. Cottey's hitting percentages for each respective match: 11 percent, seven percent, three percent, and two percent.

Providence would go on to advance to the championship match.

Individual stats

Digs: Brockus, 18; Taylor, 16; and Andrew 13. Assists: Bozeman, 11; Dillon six; and Brockus, three. Kills: Dillon, seven; Underwood, seven; Lipscomb, six, Brockus, four: Blocks: Underwood, two; Dillon, one, Jackson, one. Aces: Lipscomb, four; Dillon, one; Brockus, one.

Later in the day, the Comets were defeated by Kentucky Christian University in 25-13, (27-25), 25-19, and 28-26.

Kannady-Foreman said her team was strong in a few areas, including kills, where they registered 42, aces, 8; and blocks, 7. Kannady-Foreman said weaknesses included: 12 serve-receive errors, 10 serving errors, and eight setting errors.

Individual stats

Digs: Taylor, 24; Brockus, 19; Dillon, 18. Kills: Taylor, 10; Underwood, 8; Dillon, seven; Lipscomb, 7. Assists: Bozeman, 18; Dillon, 17; Taylor, 2. Blocks, Underwood, five; Lipscomb, two. Aces: Taylor, four; Dillon, two; Brockus, one; Andrew, one.

The Comets lost Sept. 5 to Faith Baptist Bible College in five sets 26-24, 25-21, (25-19), (25-22), and 15-11.

The Comets notched 53 kills, eight blocks, and seven aces. For Cottey, Brockus and Dillon came up with 20 digs apiece, while Bozeman dished out 23 assists, followed by Dillon with three.

The Comets later defeated North Central University (Minnesota) in three sets 25-19, 15-15, and 25-20. Cottey had hitting percentages of 23, 22, and 19.

For Cottey, Taylor recorded 19 digs, while Andrew and Lipscomb chipped in with 17 apiece. Bozeman spread the wealth with 20 assists, while Dillon added 10. Underwood recorded a hitting percentage of 55.

For the match, the Comets rang up 38 kills, five aces, and five blocks.

"Our matches during the tournament seemed to go well for the most part," Kannady-Foreman said.

Kannady-Foreman said the Comets were the only junior college team in a tournament comprised of four-year schools.

"I changed the lineup once again, and this one seems to be settling well with my players," she said. "We are coming together and completing each other better with this lineup.

"It was a great weekend for us to grow in the game and be better prepared as we continue our season. I planned this trip for just that reason. I wanted to give us more opportunities of play early in the season, to prepare us for the remainder of the season."