Varsity reserve Panthers are off to 4-3 start

Varsity reserve

     Monticello’s varsity reserve volleyball team won four of its first seven matches to start the season.

     The Panthers (4-3) played at Easton Valley Sept. 4, and lost 24-26, 18-25. Emma Hynick had four kills. Clara Finger had three kills and four digs. Piper Hansen had two kills and four digs. DeLainy Fellinger had seven digs and two assists. Emma Sperfslage had six assists, two digs, and served 8-for-8 with an ace. Jordan Lorenzen served two aces.

     On Sept. 8, the Panthers hosted the Monticello Invitational and finished second. The team won all three of its pool play matches, beating Springville 17-21, 21-19, 15-10; topping Central City 21-14, 17-21, 15-6; and defeating Anamosa 21-13, 18-21, 15-11.

     In the semifinals, the team played Monticello’s junior varsity and won 21-12, 21-8. In the finals, it lost to Anamosa 13-21, 15-21.

     Finger had 25 kills and 22 digs. Mallory Steiner had 67 assists, 15 digs, and served 49-for-51. Kenna Melchert had 15 kills. Tori McDonald had 11 kills and served 33-for-34 with seven aces. Beka Prull had 16 digs. Lorenzen had seven kills and four aces. Evee Krouse had eight digs and five aces. Megan James had 16 digs. Rylee Bauer had six kills.

     “The girls had a great tournament for not even all practicing together,” Monticello coach Kylie McDonell said.

     The Panthers played host to Center Point-Urbana Sept. 10, and lost 19-25, 9-25. Sperfslage had eight assists and four digs. Leah Holub had seven digs, and Hansen had five. Finger had four digs and three kills. Bronwyn Hodge had one block.

Fresh-soph

     The Monticello freshman-sophomore volleyball team won three of four matches to start its season.

     The Panthers (3-1) played at Easton Valley Aug. 28, and lost by scores of 25-22, 10-25, 10-15. Megan Mahoney had four kills and two aces, and Bronwyn Hodge had three kills and three digs. Caroline Olson made 10 assists. Kenzie Mysak had two digs.

     At home against North Cedar Aug. 30, the Panthers won 21-1, 21-11, 25-22. Hodge had four kills, and Mahoney had two. Olson had six assists.

     “We did a nice job of serving and getting an aggressive offense set up off of free balls,” Monticello coach Abby Fagan said.

     On Sept. 4, the Panthers played host to Anamosa, and won 25-18, 25-6. Mahoney had four kills, and Kylee Van Dorn had three. Olson made 10 assists.

     Monticello traveled to Goose Lake Sept. 6 to play Northeast, and won 12-25, 25-18, 16-14. Hodge had six kills, Mahoney had three, and Kayla Simmons added two. Hodge also had three digs and served two aces. Olson had 10 assists.

     “This team made us play defense and be aggressive offensively,” Fagan said. “The girls fought back and played as a team.”

Seventh-grade

     Three matches got the 2018 season started for the Monticello seventh-grade volleyball team.

     Monticello opened its season Sept. 4 at home against Anamosa. The A team won 21-10, 21-9. Emma Porter had five aces, Kendra Mescher had four, and Gabi Barnhart had two. Keziah McQuillen had two kills. Sami McElmeel made three assists.

     The Panthers won the B match 8-15, 15-2, 15-8. Abby Sharlow had five aces, and Jordan Fangmann had two.

     In the C match, Monticello lost 14-16, 7-15, 15-8. Kendra Jacobs, Rylee Kraus and Kyrie Zimmerman had one ace apiece.

     On Sept. 6, the Panthers traveled to Goose Lake to take on Northeast. The A team won 21-7, 17-21, 15-11. Ace leaders were Sharlow with five, Mescher and McElmeel with four each, Kinzi Schlarmann, Lacie Koppes and Fangmann had three apiece, while Marissa Kehoe, Emma Porter and McQuillen had two each. McElmeel made five assists, and Porter had two. McQuillen had four kills, and Mescher had three.

     The combined B/C team won 15-11, 15-5, 15-11. Taylor Gassman had two aces, while Claire Hogan and Jacobs had one apiece.

     Next, the Panthers played host to Dyersville Beckman Sept. 10. The A team won 21-13, 20-22, 15-10, McElmeel had five assists and two aces. McQuillen had three kills and three aces. Porter had four aces, while Raegan LaGrange had three. Mescher had four kills.

     In the B match, Monticello won 15-5, 15-10, 15-2. Fangmann served 11 aces, Sharlow had four, Kehoe and Koppes had two each. Kehoe also had two kills.