Warriors come up short in quad, but continue to make strides on court
The Central Warriors competed in their second volleyball quad of the season on Sept. 30, facing off against two of the big schools of the Upper Iowa Conference, Crestwood and Waukon.
While the Warriors came up short in both matches, they showed progress and continue to make strides as the season moves forward, noted head coach Kelly Erickson.
The night opened with a tough battle against Crestwood, where Central dropped two close sets, 22-25 and 24-25. Serving was one area of struggle, as the team finished at 82.6 percent, missing eight serves. Despite that, several players had standout performances, including Katie Royer serving a perfect 13/13 with three aces.
On offense, Alivia Wiley and Oakley Armstrong led with five kills each, while Royer added three kills. Layla Embretson, Brylee Erickson and Ella Frieden contributed two apiece. Royer also set up 10 assists, with Erickson adding seven.
Defensively, Armstrong paced the team with 11 digs, followed by Royer with nine. Erickson and Tenley Bormann each tallied five.
“Serve reception was another area of challenge, but with the team’s experience, the Warriors are confident in their ability to improve,” Erickson said.
In the second match, Central faced Waukon, falling in two sets by scores of 11-25 and 26-28. After a slow start in the first set, the Warriors regrouped and battled to the end in a nail-biting second.
Serving was a major highlight, as the team finished an impressive 97.4 percent. Erickson went 13/13 with an ace, while Wiley served 9/9 with an ace.
Offensively, Frieden led with seven kills, Wiley followed with four and Royer chipped in three. Royer also recorded seven assists, with Erickson adding five.
On defense, Wiley dug up 13 balls, Erickson eight, Armstrong seven and Royer six. At the net, Frieden made her presence known with two block assists and one solo block.
“Serve reception is an area we will continue to work on, but I was pleased with the improvements we made as the night went on,” said Erickson. “We’re focused on serving consistently at 90 percent or better, and we’re striving to be at the top of the small schools division heading into tournament play.”
The Warriors will look to keep building momentum as they move into the final weeks of the regular season. They were slated to face North Fayette Valley and New Hampton on Oct. 7, then Turkey Valley Oct. 9.
