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Greyhounds close out season with victory over Comets
FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Fort Scott Community College's volleyball team ended its season on a winning note Friday night, defeating Cottey College 25-13, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18 in the last match of the season for both teams.
The victory broke a 10-match losing streak for Fort Scott, which finished the season 9-21. That is one more win than the program had in the previous three seasons put together. It's the highest victory total for the Greyhounds since they won eight matches in 2004.
"I wanted a lot for this season and I had a lot of high hopes," Fort Scott head coach Sonya Petroski said. "I can't say I'm disappointed in the way the season finished because this is the most successful season this program has had in the last six seasons. It's all about baby steps and as much as I wanted to get to district (playoffs), we started something great and we're only going to go up next season."
This was also Cottey's last match of the season. The Comets finished 1-18, dropping their last 12 matches.
Petroski might have a bit of empathy for the Cottey program. In her first season last year, the Greyhounds were 0-31. They were 8-12 this year before their season-ending slump befell them.
Fort Scott jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the opening game. The lead grew to 20-9 at one point as the 'Hounds were having great success at the middle of the net, where it seemed that if there was any kind of a hit Cottey didn't get enough power behind, Katie VanLue was there to smash the ball down to the floor.
Cottey got some things together in the second game, going out to a 9-4 lead as Janelle Crowell and Andrea Hass began to step up their play for the Comets. However, VanLue got some more chances to kill the ball and she did just that on back to back plays as the Greyhounds began to dig themselves out of the hole.
The 'Hounds tied the score at 13-13 on a kill by Bailey Dodson. But Crowell got a kill right back for the Comets and things went back and forth for a while.
The last tie in the second game was at 21-21. Then Jessica Cook got a kill for the Greyhounds, who scored four of the last five points, ending that game as Dodson served an ace.
Fort Scott held a 14-9 lead in the third game. But Cottey scored nine of the next 10 to take an 18-15 lead. Three ace serves by Haas and helped the Comets push the lead to 24-17. VanLue got a kill for the 'Hounds to hold the Comets off but a serving error gave Cottey that game.
In game four, it was Fort Scott established another lead, this of 12-9. Cottey got back within one before an error returned serve to the Greyhounds, making it 15-13. Fort Scott scored the next four, then Cottey scored four straight to get within 19-17.
Cook got another kill as the 'Hounds began a four-point run. A net serve scored a point for Cottey at 23-18. But VanLue and Tayler Hosey teamed up on a block to bring up match point and Kara Baker's next serve just touched the top of the net before falling on the other side for an ace that ended the match.
VanLue finished with 16 kills and five blocks for the Greyhounds. Lindsay Smith had nine kills and Hosey had six.
Baker recorded 13 assists for FSCC while Kara Probert had 11. Dodson served three aces.
All those players are freshmen for Fort Scott, which will lose only one player to graduation.
"I'm really looking forward to what we can do with these girls in the spring," Petroski said, "and what next season will bring."
Crowell finished with 8 kills for Cottey while Haas picked up 4. Natale Larsen dished 19 assists. Hass had three blocks and served five aces.
The lone sophomore for the Fort Scott program was Fort Scott High School graduate Ashley Cavin, who was honored before the game. Petroski praised Cavin's selflessness as she played libero, defensive specialist, middle blocker and right-side hitter at various times as a Greyhound.
"Anywhere we put her, she has had the best attitude about it," Petroski said. "She strives to be the best that she can and we'll miss that attitude next year."
Petroski says that Cavin wants to help coach the Greyhounds next year while she attends Pittsburg State University.
"I would like to have her back because she just loves this game and loves this school and loves this community," Petroski said. "And she wants to come back and make something out of it as best as possible."