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SEC volleyball: Trojans-Panthers show down
Fairfield looks for 1 seed; Washington heads south to battle Keokuk as conference wraps up league play
The Southeast Conference volleyball slate sees the end of the regular season on Tuesday night, as SEC teams play the final of five conference volleyball nights on the schedule.
On Tuesady, Fairfield hosts Mt. Pleasant, Washington travels to Keokuk and Fort Madison goes to Burlington in three games that will all effect seeding for the 2023 conference tournament.
Fairfield sits at 3-1 in league play to start the day, and the visiting Panthers are 1-3. Mt. Pleasant is the only thing standing between the Trojans and the No. 1 seed in the SEC tourney, which begins on Oct. 3.
Fairfield has won five of the last six meetings against Mt. Pleasant, including a 3-0 sweep last season in league play. The Trojans come in winning their last two games, while Mt. Pleasant is on an eight-game slide.
The Trojans are led in kills by junior Lilly Bergren, who has sent 136 of them to the hardwood. Senior Rowan Terrell comes into the game with 83 kills.
Maddie Jones continues to be one of the best setters in the area. She paces the team with 366 assists, and also has a team-high 35 service aces on the season. Savannah Hollander holds the team lead in digs, with 184.
Mt. Pleasant has four players within 10 kills of each other for the team lead. Senior Emma Starr is ahead with 86, but juniors Alex Scott (81), Myah Starr (81) and Addison Clark (77) are close behind.
Abby Carthey’s 241 assists leads the Panthers. Scott has 146 digs to pace the defense.
Washington heads into Keokuk with a 2-2 conference record. The Demons are knotted up with the Chiefs, along with Burlington and Fort Madison, which means all four teams could tie for first in the regular season if Mt. Pleasant can upset Fairfield.
The Demons are led in kills by sophomore Leighton Messinger, who has 188 on the year. Lauren Hinrichsen and Remy Messinger have been a dynamic duo in assists, tallying 180 and 164 respectively, and Ella Greiner’s 152 digs lead the team.
Washington will have to figure out how to contain Keokuk’s Makenna Altgilbers, who leads the team with 187 kills so far this year, and also paces the defense with 239 digs. Kendra Boatman has 275 assists, and Brylee Balentine has 207 digs.
After Tuesday’s games, the 2023 SEC volleyball tournament seeds will be figured out and the squads will meet up in Fort Madison one week later, on Oct. 3. The tournament will finish up in Washington one week after that, on Oct. 10.
