Golden Hawks downed at No. 7 West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY - An established program with a coach of 20 years and a stable of club players including a first team all-state player and a second teamer is a tough combination to defeat.

Mid-Prairie came into Thursday's River Valley Conference match with an unbeaten record, high hopes and a determination to play well, but the result was a 3-0 sweep by the seventh-ranked team in Class 3A. West Liberty improved to 10-0 with the win while Mid-Prairie is now 4-1.

'We got it in our heads that we wanted to play so well that I think my team psyched themselves out,” Mid-Prairie head coach Sherry Evans said. 'A lot of our training we do is the mental aspect and we did not do that very well tonight.”

The lack of mental focus became evident in the physical play of the Golden Hawks.

'It showed with our passing and our serve receive,” Evans said. 'That is the worst it's been all year.”

While the Hawks did not measure up to the Comets, playing a game should always a learning experience.

'We can definitely improve and this shows us what we need to work on,” Evans said.

The first set went from a 6-5 deficit to 16-8 to 20-10. Kills from Tori Boyse and Phelan Hostetler got it to 20-13 but the set ended 25-13 on a kill from Macy Daufeldt. She was first team all-state last year as a sophomore. She took over the second set when she started serving at 8-7, dove for an incredible dig at 10-7, landed an ace at 12-7, set up teammate Martha Pace (second team all-state as a junior) for consecutive kills at 16-7. Evans called time at 12-7 but the Hawks couldn't stop her. She finally put a serve in the net at 18-7. The final was 25-13 again.

Mid-Prairie had trouble getting into an offensive rhythm because they had to constantly play defense.

'We were late on our blocks and couldn't close,” Evans said.

The Comets were faster and hit harder than Durant or Washington, Mid-Prairie's two previous wins.

'We have not played anybody yet as good as these guys,” Evans said. 'They are really solid. Our poor setter ran her little butt off.”

The third set was a 10-4 deficit when Evans called time, but the lead grew to 20-7 before it ended at 25-11.

'Our goal is to play our best, no matter who we are up against,” West Liberty head coach of 20 years Ruben Galvan said. 'Whether it's a strong team or a team that is definitely improving like Mid-Prairie.”

The Comets discipline kept the Hawks defense on the move, alternating cross-court power, down the line precision and an occasional tip right in the middle.

'We have set plays but a lot of times, our setter (Brooklyn Buysse) finds the right pass it on her own and she's only a sophomore,” Galvan said.

Evans said Galvan has a great reputation, knows the game very well and cultivate the Comets talent from a young age.

'We know what we need to work on and we are going to dig right out of it and come back and play great,” Evans said.