WACO 4th in own volleyball tournament

WAYLAND — The high school volleyball season commenced for eight teams with the first serves on three courts in two gyms at WACO Monday.

West Burlington won the tournament by going 3-0 in pool play then winning the title match over Wapello, which also went unbeaten in pool play.

The Arrows had a much tougher time than the Falcons, who didn’t drop a set.

The host Warriors targeted the Arrows, scoring more points overall in a tough match that went to an extra point before Wapello prevailed, 21-19, 16-21, 16-14.

Wins over Pekin and Columbus put WACO in the third-place game against Sigourney. With the winning score now 25 instead of 21, WACO went an extra point in a set for the second time and winning for the first time in that situation 26-24 over the Savages. The second set went to Sigourney 25-18. The Warriors took a 6-3 lead in the deciding set but didn’t score again until Sigourney had 10. Katie Liechty hammered her 10th kill of the night on one of Grace Coble’s 54 assists to get WACO within 12-9, but it ended 15-10 for Sigourney. Coble added 26 digs.

Ellah Kissell stung 33 kills for WACO and Jocelyn Fulton lifted 35 digs. Emma Wagler put down nine kills and put up seven blocks while WACO teammate Marie Farmer recorded eight kills and four blocks. Leichty aced 10 of her serves.

“We had seen in preseason that Kissell was going to be a big hitter on the outside,” WACO’s coach said. “Jo looked good at libero although there are some things to clean up.”

With one senior, five juniors and seven sophomores, Kissell and Coble are the only Warriors with varsity time so head coach Jay Coble was pleased with the tournament.

“We’re a young team so we have to find out who can do things and go from there,” Coach Coble said. WACO gets another chance at Wapello, playing in a triangular at Keokuk Thursday.

Pekin went 1-2 in its three matches. The victory was a close one, edging Columbus 21-17, 19-21, 15-8.

Pekin head coach Rusty Crabtree starts his second year in charge of the Panthers and is having a “more normal year so it is a lot of fun,” compared to last season’s coronavirus worries for the lone coach.

Crabtree is one of three Pekin coaches this season as there are two assistants, Jordan Mohs and Jodee Sellers “who are outstanding ladies and coaches making my job easier, and making me look better.”

Panthers are rebuilding so attitude is important. “The girls played hard, especially the last set, and they are starting to jell together,” Crabtree said of the 21-7, 21-16 loss to Wapello, which would finish second to West Burlington in the tournament.

Taylor Gambell is the only senior on the Panthers. She had four aces, 13 assists and two blocks combined on the evening. There are eight juniors on the team. Three of them are: 6-feet-1-inch Kyli Fitzsimmons, who produced seven kills and two blocks; Delainie Batterson, who dug 12 balls; and Claire Roth, who had 15 digs. Freshman Kayse Miller served five aces and killed eight spikes.

Pekin’s next action was to be Saturday, but a cancellation means Sigourney comes to Packwood Aug. 31. Sigourney defeated WACO for third place.

“I don’t like that long in between matches. I’d like to practice what we learned tonight and play Saturday, but you have to do what you have to do,” Crabtree said.

Beside Pekin, Columbus lost to WACO 21-11, 21-11 and Wapello 21-14, 21-12.

Victoria Howell notched 16 kills, 12 digs, and three aces in the three matches and Wildcats teammate Sara Vela had 21 assists, four kills, 10 digs, and two aces. Lily Coil added seven kills and six digs on the night and Isabelle Lagunas hustled for 10 digs. Noemy Navara had three digs and two aces in the Pekin match.

BJ Carter is starting her first season as the Van Buren County head coach after previously coaching and playing at Iowa Wesleyan. The Warriors roasted Centerville 21-9, 21-11, lost to Sigourney 21-15, 16-21, 15-6 then fell to tournament winner and No. 8 West Burlington 21-11, 21-15.

“We still have plenty to work on but I thought we had good instincts,” Carter said. “We were focused on the game and not worried about the heat.”

The Warriors played in the much warmer gym where a referee suffered enough from the heat that he had to be replaced.

“Volleyball is such a momentum game,” Carter said of the fact the Warriors outplayed West Burlington for a significant stretch of the second set. “I need to remind them of that. Just be sure when we drop one, we get back up on it.”

The Warriors will have a chance to do just that as their next match will be Sept. 2 when West Burlington visits Keosauqua.

“I like having that time to work on things and refine our game a little bit,” Carter said. “We need to be more comfortable. The season comes so fast with just two weeks so I will probably change the lineup on them.”