Panthers lose heartbreaker despite collecting big numbers

     A slow start, an impressive comeback, and some heartbreak at the end characterized the home opener for the Monticello High School volleyball team Thursday, Aug. 30.

     Ultimately, the Panthers fell to River Valley Conference opponent North Cedar by scores of 17-25, 17-25, 25-22, 24-26.

     Even in defeat, Monticello (0-1, 3-4) put up some outstanding numbers. The Panthers had 40 kills as a team, led by Jordan Kuper with 14 and Jaelynn Kraus with 13. Tori McDonald contributed to most of those while totaling 23 assists. Mallory Steiner added 11 assists and served 13-for-14. Leah Holub served 9-for-9.

     Defensively, the team had 39 digs, led by Kuper with 11, Kraus with eight and McDonald with five.

     The Panthers had blocks from five players: Kuper with three, and Carly Hayen, Marissa McNally, Beka Prull and McDonald with two apiece.

     The visiting Knights took advantage of some early Panther jitters to win the first two sets.

     “We just kind of doubted ourselves, I feel,” Monticello coach Stacie Breitbach. It’s the first home start for almost my whole team, and so I think we were just a little nervous.

     “We just kept working through some things and started to serve better, serve receive better, stay confident, and good things happened.”

     The best thing that happened was a comeback from a seven-point deficit in the third set, as the Panthers won 25-22 to force a fourth set.

     “We just talked about upping the communication, upping the energy and playing as a team,” Breitbach said.

     It almost worked in the fourth set as well. Down 12-16, the Panther reeled off five straight points to take a 17-16 advantage as the noise level in the newly-refurbished Monticello gym reached new heights.

     North Cedar regained a 21-19 lead, but Monticello went on another five-point streak, leading 24-21.

     The heartbreak for the Panthers came when the Knights won the final five points to close out the match. A pair of aces and a pair of errors contributed to the streak.

     “The good thing about those points is that we stayed aggressive. We didn’t start tipping and doing things that we don’t do,” Breitbach said.

     “We had some hitting errors and things down the stretch, but if we’re going to lose, I’d rather lose being aggressive than not playing Panther volleyball.”

Aug. 30

North Cedar 3, Monticello 1

MONTICELLO                            Kl    Bl    Dg    Ac

Carly Hayen                                 2      2      0      0

Jaelynn Kraus                             13    0      8      0

Jordan Kuper                               14     3   11      0

Tori McDonald                               3      2      5      1

Sophie Hodge                               0      0      1      0

Beka Prull                                      6      2      2      1

Mallory Steiner                               0      0      6      2

Megan James                                0      0      4      0

Leah Holub                                    0      0      2      0

Marissa McNally                            2      2      0      0

Lainey Fellinger                             0      0      0      0

Clara Finger                                   0      0      0      0

Totals                                           40     11    39     4

Assists – McDonald 23, Steiner 11, Kuper 1,

Prull 1, Finger 1.

Serving leaders – Steiner 13-14, Kraus

11-12, McDonald 11-12, Holub 9-9.

Set scores

North Cedar                25   25   22   26

Monticello                   17   17   25   24