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Panthers pounce on Chiefs
Mt. Pleasant mops Keokuk in Class 4A regional volleyball opener
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT — There’s something to be said about getting hot at the right time, and that’s what has happened to the Mt. Pleasant volleyball team, which has now won four-straight games, including the Class 4A Region 1 opener against Southeast Conference rival Keokuk.
After a slow start at the beginning of the opening set, the Panthers controlled the rest of the night, winning 25-23, 25-16, 25-18.
“I think it was just our execution, and staying positive, and staying up,” said Panther head coach Alicia Schrader. “It’s all about momentum. It’s just staying with it and pushing through to 25.”
Mt. Pleasant was down five points early, trailing 6-1 after the first seven points, but the Panthers locked in and battled back.
The Panthers eventually took the lead, and even held a 24-20 advantage before Keokuk took the next three points. Up 24-23, however, Abby Carthey sent a tricky kill over on a fake set, which fell innocently to the floor and gave the Panthers the Set 1 victory, igniting Mt. Pleasant’s home fans.
“I love the home crowd,” said senior Meadow Carter. “There’s always big heads out there, and they’re always cheering us on, and it’s really helpful. It keeps our mood up.”
From then on, the Panthers never looked back. Mt. Pleasant rolled in the second set, behind a five-kill, five-ace performance from Alex Scott. In the third, Scott and Myah Starr each had four kills, including Starr’s final point, which ended the game, and gave Mt. Pleasant’s big senior class a victory on their home court for the last time.
“It was exciting,” Starr said after the match. “We all worked together, and we had a lot of energy.”
Scott finished with 11 kills and five aces to lead the team. Jenna Schwartz and Addison Clark each had 10 kills, and Kynlee White added a pair of aces.
The Panthers moved to 22-14 overall with the win, Mt. Pleasant’s best record since 2013. Mt. Pleasant will play at top-seeded Clear Creek-Amana (39-3) on Thursday night.
“This is exactly how I wanted to end my last game here,” said Clark, a senior. “I’m super proud of my team and my coaches that have made this year possible.”
