Demon volleyball topped in five sets

WASHINGTON — Washington has been playing some great volleyball in the early season and Thursday night the Demons showed promise once again as they took on Mediapolis.

Despite the great play, it was a tough outing against Mediapolis that took all five sets to decide a winner.

When all was said and done, Washington came up just short after the back and forth affair.

The Demons took the first set 25-23, lost the second 25-14, won the third 25-16 and Mediapolis came out on top in the fourth 25-14. They kept rolling into the final set as well, winning 15-6.

Leading the way for Washington on the night was Alex Murphy. She ended with a team-high nine kills. Leighton Messinger finished with eight. Lauren Hinrichsen racked up 14 assists. Messinger also led in the digs department, tallying 21 on the night.

The Demons had a very efficient night serving the ball, serving at a 98% clip with five aces between the five sets.

Washington had a tough time defending the Bulldog’s Lexie Arnold on the night. She finished with a game high 16 kills.

“The biggest difference from when we struggled was mental toughness,” Washington assistant coach Erin Schaefer said. “When we get into specific rotations, sometimes we cant find a good rhythm. We need to make sure that we’re fighting through that adversity.”

On Saturday, the Demons traveled to Anamosa to compete in the weekend tournament.

It was a tough afternoon of volleyball for Washington as they were bested in each of three matchups.

Washington lost to Bellevue (21-13, 21-12), Clear Creek Amana (21-12, 21-13) and hosts Anamosa (21-8, 21-14) all in two straight sets.

The Demons (3-8) will look to bounce back on Tuesday against Southeast Conference opponent Keokuk (2-6) at home.