Tigers rebound to claim Anderson County title

Monday, October 18, 2010

GARNETT -- Fort Scott High School's volleyball team bounced back from a first-match loss to Anderson County to beat the host Bulldogs in the finals of the Anderson County Tournament here Saturday.

"The girls played very well all day," Fort Scott head coach Carol Bingesser said. "We carried the momentum from Thursday night's wins over Iola and Chanute right on into Saturday. Everyone contributed in the wins on Saturday. It was a total team effort. We played with a lot of heart and intensity. The girls were really focused, they played great defense and our serve receive was great, which was what we had been working on all week in practice. We passed and dug up a lot of balls that allowed our hitters to really execute.

"This tournament win is great motivation for our team. We are playing well and it is perfect timing for Sub-State. I'm really proud of the girls on their effort on Saturday. It was a great reward for all their hard work that they have been putting in.

Pool play began with a 25-22, 21-25, 25-23 loss to Anderson County. Mallory Shelton had 15 kills, 9 digs and 2 ace serves for the Tigers (24-12). Megan McDermed was credited with 13 digs. Kori Allen had 6 digs and 2 aces. Kenzie Heatherly also served 2 aces while dishing 24 assists.

Next in pool play came a 25-20, 25-7 sweep of Prairie View. Shelton had 9 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks and 2 aces. McDermed had 6 kills and 10 digs. Kelsey Middleton was credited with 4 kills. Allen had 6 digs and Heatherly served 4 aces and handed out 15 assists.

The final pool match was a 25-22, 26-24 sweep of Labette County, which avenged a 2-game loss at Fort Scott on Sept. 30. Shelton had 7 kills and 9 digs. McDermed came up with 8 kills and 10 digs while Heatherly dealt 17 assists.

The semifinal round saw a 29-27, 32-30 victory over Burlington. Shelton picked up 11 kills and 7 digs. Jenna Campbell had 6 kills while McDermed had 5 kills, 10 digs and a pair of aces. Allen had 5 digs and and Heatherly handed out 24 assists.

In the finals, the Tigers paid back Anderson County by winning 22-25, 25-16, 25-19. Shelton had 17 kills and 11 digs. McDermed finished with 8 kills and 9 digs. Campbell recorded 6 kills. Marliss Allen had 12 digs while Kori Allen had 7. And Heatherly gave 26 assists.

Post-season play begins at Louisburg Saturday afternoon with the Class 4A Sub-State Tournament. Pairings are not expected to be announced until Wednesday morning.