Trojans rebound with home win

The positive energy was swirling around the gym.

After a miserable day in Ottumwa this past weekend, the Fairfield volleyball team was looking to rebound and get back to its winning ways.

This didn?t prove to be much of an issue Tuesday. The Trojans would down Keokuk by the score of 25-17, 25-8, 25-16.

Fairfield came out firing, jumping out to a 13-2 lead before Keokuk was forced to call a timeout to stem the tide. The Chiefs would then go on a 6-0 run, forcing Fairfield head coach Nancy Diers to call her own timeout.

?The players still lose focus at times,? Diers said.

The Chiefs were lucky to finish set one only losing by eight. Set two was all Fairfield. Senior hitter Marisa Repp, who recorded 17 kills on the night, led the team to the 25-8 final score. Repp was an outside force, continually pounding the ball over the net. The Chiefs could not handle her for the majority of the match.

?Because of Saturday we really wanted to make a big comeback,? said Repp. ?We wanted to work together, communicate and do all the things we weren?t able to do Saturday.?

The Trojans were able to run plays and try new things because of the score. Sydney Burnett, instead of just tossing the ball up for other players to spike, slyly poked the ball over the net into wide open spaces and recorded four kills to go along with her 10 assists. Madison Roberts tacked on six kills and Hannah Greiner came off the bench to tap over four more. Diers was able to get Alexis Ring playing time, which is significant because Ring has been hobbled by back issues.

Fairfield had 75 digs and only three blocks, which is a byproduct of Keokuk?s inability to kill the ball.

?When you have a team like that just passing the ball over, things like that are bound to happen,? said Diers.

Smiles were rampant throughout the pre-game and during the game as well. It was clear that the Trojans had put the past few losses behind them and were focused on the task at hand.

?We wanted to make it fun,? Repp said.

Diers hopes the smiles are still contagious when the Trojans travel to Burlington Saturday.