Greyhounds pick up pair of season-opening wins

Saturday, August 23, 2014
Fort Scott sophomore Shelbey Baker (10) receives serve while freshman Emily Bruce looks on during the fourth set of the Greyhounds' match versus Pratt at Arnold Arena Friday night. FSCC also defeated Wentworth Military Academy (Mo.) in an afternoon match and play two more matches today in their home tournament. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Fort Scott Community College's volleyball team, led by its four sophomores and a few of its freshmen, won its first two matches in its home tournament Friday at Arnold Arena. First, the Greyhounds dominated Wentworth Military Academy (Mo.) in three sets, 25-7, 25-5, 25-12. Then they downed Pratt, a Division I team, in the last match of the night, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19.

The most telling set of the night might be the ones the 'Hounds lost, that third set against Pratt. The Beavers scored the first 6 points and went on to establish a 16-5 lead. But Fort Scott scored 17 of the next 22 to take a 22-21 lead before Pratt rallied to take the set.

The Greyhounds rallied again in the fourth set from 8-5 down and were able to hold on, going up as many as 6 points before prevailing.

"We had a big discussion about the intensity level we have to play with at all times," fourth year Greyhound head coach Lindsay Hill said. "That's the intensity level we need to stay at. We would have made it much easier on ourselves had we stayed at that level through the entire match. But we saw a lot of good things in the match today, so it's a good way to start."

The first set of the Pratt match saw the teams pretty much trade points until the 'Hounds got three straight kills to extend a one-point lead to 14-10. Another run near the end of the set made it 23-18.

The teams traded scores again to start the second set, literally at a one-for-one pace until Fort Scott went on a 12-1 roll to go up 21-11.

The 'Hounds made several errors at the start of the third match. But the momentum took a 180-degree turn and Pratt started making the errors, which led to a 6-point run that brought Fort Scott within 16-11.

Pratt led 21-15, then gave serve back to Fort Scott on an error. Pittsburg State transfer Molly Hothan made back-to-back kills to start a 6-0 run to make it 22-21.

The score became tied again when a 'Hound serve went into the net. Then Hothan made another kill to put Fort Scott up 23-22 before Pratt got serve back on an error and served out the set.

The Beavers led the fourth set 8-5 but two more Hothan kills helped start the Greyhound rally. Sophomore Shelbey Baker got a kill and freshman Brandi Huesman contributed a pair of kills that put Fort Scott ahead 11-9. The 'Hounds never trailed again.

Hothan had 15 kills in the match while freshman Julia Stringer recorded 13. Sophomore libero Terina Harris was credited with 13 digs while freshman Emily Bruce came up with 11. Sophomore setter Kortney Blaufuss dished out 43 assists.

Fort Scott came out ready to dominated in the afternoon match against an overmatched Wentworth squad. The 'Hounds scored the first 5 points of the match and had first-set leads of 14-1, 19-3 and 22-4.

The second set went much the same way with Fort Scott taking an 8-1 lead. At one point Bruce served five consecutive aces -- and seven in all --as part of a 15-0 run that made it 23-3. Wentworth only scored one point in the set when it had the serve.

The Red Dragons came out playing better in the third set, staying within 16-10. But Fort Scott scored 9 of the last 11 points.

"They didn't do a whole lot of things wrong," Hill said. "And it was a good thing to see that we can play at that level."

Blaufuss handed out 22 assists. Hothan had 11 kills. Huesman also served 4 aces.

Fort Scott will face East Central, Mo., at 11 a.m. this morning and Labette at 7 p.m. in the final match of the tournament tonight.