Mt. Pleasant volleyball finishes 1st in regular season play

FORT MADISON — The Southeast Conference’s regular season schedule came to an end Tuesday, and when all the dust had cleared, it is Mt. Pleasant that finished at the top, earning momentum for the all-important conference tournament.

The Panthers vanquished Fort Madison in four sets, earning the second-straight against the Bloodhounds in the series after losing the previous 16.

Mt. Pleasant dominated the first set, defeating the Bloodhounds 25-12. Fort Madison tied it with a 26-24 win in the second, but the Panthers closed it out with a 25-18 victory in the third, and a 25-19 win in the fourth.

It was a tense night at the Hound Dome, and one that didn’t come without a little controversy. Both head coaches, Mt. Pleasant’s David Streeter and Fort Madison’s Kelly Knustrom, picked up yellow cards in the game for attempting to influence an official’s call.

It was the Panthers’ fourth-straight win in Southeast Conference play and the seventh win over SEC schools including tournament play.

Mt. Pleasant entered the night tied with Fairfield at the top of the league, but the Trojans’ loss at Washington left the Panthers all alone at the top.

The loss cost Fort Madison a chance at regular-season glory. If the Bloodhounds could have beaten the Panthers, four SEC teams would have tied at the top, with Mt. Pleasant, Fort Madison, Keokuk and Fairfield all sitting at 3-2.

The real prize, however, lies in the next two Tuesdays of play. The SEC uses its two-day round-robin tournament as the official conference championship. The conference tourney begins in Mt. Pleasant Tuesday, Oct. 5, and finishes in Fairfield one week later, on Oct. 12.

FINAL REGULAR SEASON SEC STANDINGS

1. Mt. Pleasant 4-1

T2. Fairfield 3-2

T2. Keokuk 3-2

T4. Fort Madison 2-3

T4. Burlington 2-3

5. Washington 1-4