Lady Warriors volleyball team collects a pair of wins over the week
By Lenny Sementi
Tuscola’s volleyball team jumped back to .500 after collecting a pair of wins to end the week. After falling to Maroa Forsythe on Tuesday the sixth in their first skirmish of the week the Lady Warriors rebounded winning four straight sets on Wednesday and Thursday sweeping both Clinton and Meridian collecting two Central Illinois Conference victories.
The twin towers of Kate Dean and Amelia Bosch bracketing the right and left side of the court for head coach Lydia Miller combined for 40 kills in the three day span delivering the most in the final outing smashing 17 kills against Meridian. Senior setter Jessie Martin fed the dynamic duo delivering 36 assists including a week-high 18 in the win over Lady Hawks while Kerri Pierce added 14assists to her season stat sheet. Libero Hope Dietrich dove her way to a team-high 20 digs while senior classmate added 14 to her totals. At the net on defense were Dean and Bosch who accounted for five and four blocks respectively.
An early run by Maroa on their home floor in the first set was too much to overcome despite an offensive attack fueled by Bosch and Dean that produced four kills as the Lady Trojans held court cruising to a nine-point first game Triumph. Tuscola fired back early in the second set as Martin found Dean for two kills as the two squads traded points. Martin then connected with Middle hitter Kendyl Ring twice as well after saves by Dietrich but a late rally by the home team secured the 21-25 game two victory and the match. Dean led all Warriors with five kills while Bosch ended the night with four and Ring three. Martin donated double digit assists to the cause, notching ten and Pierce added another four. Ring was also big in the backcourt with eight saves to her credit. Dietrich was one better wrapping up the match with nine digs as Tuscola fell to 4-6 overall on the year.
Martin found Dean four times in the first 15 points of the match as the senior hitter posted a week-high ten kills in the contest. But it was at the service line where Tuscola really flexed its muscles on their home floor serving up a season-best 13 aces in the two game sweep. Seven of those aces came in game one as the Lady Warriors went on a ten-point run midway through ending all hopes of the Lady Hawks in a dominating 25-11 victory. The second set was a nail biter but kills late by Dean and Bosch along a five-point serving streak by Ring allowed Miller’s squad to collect win number five on the year thanks to a 25-23 win in game two pulling them to within one of the .500 mark.
Ring, Marissa Russo, Pierce and Martin all served up a few laser beams all accounting for three aces and at least six service points in the match. Martin and Pierce split up the assists delivering eight and seven respectively. Dietrich hustled her way to another nine digs and shared the floor with Reagan Wyrich who checked in at the end of the night with six digs to her credit.
It was back on the road the next evening with the Warriors traveling to Clinton for a big CIC showdown. Tuscola passed the ball very well allowing Martin to set up the two headed monster at the net to the tune of a match-high 18 assists. Dean led all with 11 kills, five of which came in Tuscola’s 25-15 conquest in game one. She also blocked a pair of the home team’s swings putting the Warriors on the service line. Bosch joined the party at the net with four of her six kills coming in game two helping the Warriors sweep the Maroons in two sets evening their season record at 6-6 overall while moving to 3-2 in the CIC. Bosch and Ring were tough again at the service line combining for 12 service points and five aces.
Dietrich and Laney Cummings each found their way to a pair of saves but it was Wyrich at the top of the stat line adding six digs to her season resume. Miller’s squad travels to Shelbyville on Monday, April 12 before hosting Paris on Tuesday and Sullivan on Thursday of this week.