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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington volleyball defeats Pella Christian, Keokuk
Demons take five-set thriller over Eagles, improves to 3-0 in SEC with win over Chiefs
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A nonconference battle against Pella Christian turned into a war of attrition Monday night for Washington volleyball. The Demons rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Eagles in five sets, (22-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 15-9).
Washington had to dig deep after spirited Pella Christian comebacks in the first and third sets but the visitors 2-1 up. The Demons blew an 18-10 advantage in set one. They built a 21-15 lead in the third set before the Eagles stormed back with 10 straight points.
“When we play a little bit timid, then that's when the other team is able to take advantage of that, kind of see us back on our heels a little bit, not wanting to attack the ball as much,” Demons coach Aaron Six said. “But when we put pressure on them offensively, that's the big difference in what the ball game was.”
The Demons found their offensive groove in the fourth set and built a 20-14 lead. With the match on the line, Washington this time left no chance for an Eagles comeback. Pella Christian’s scoring stopped after it trimmed Washington’s lead to 21-17. The Demons scored four straight points to tie the match at 2-2.
A Pella Christian attack error followed by a friendly bounce off the net on a Taylor Miksch serve gave Washington a 5-3 advantage in the first-to-15 third set. The Demons didn’t look back, and extended that lead to five and finished the match on a 5-1 run to earn a gritty victory.
“I think the biggest thing was letting each other know that we're here for each other, telling each other what's open and overall, just communicating and having fun while we’re playing,” senior Leighton Messinger said of the comeback. “I think we played some of the best volleyball we've played all season.”
Messinger finished with 15 kills and contributed well on the defensive end with 16 digs, second only to libero Ellie Farmer’s 18. Junior Layla Green wasn’t far behind Messinger in the kills department with 14. Reagan Miller and Carys Miller led the way in assists with 23 and 14, respectively.
Washington followed up a hard-earned win with a victory over Keokuk to stay perfect in SEC play. The Demons had a much quicker victory over the Chiefs with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-9) sweep.
Messinger and Green accounted for 31 of the team’s 50 kills. Miksch had a strong performance from the service line with five aces.
Washington’s win and Burlington’s five set loss to Fairfield means the Demons are now in sole possession of first place in the SEC at 3-0. Burlington (16-6), Fairfield (10-6) and Mount Pleasant (10-6) are all 2-1 in conference matches. The Panthers and Trojans both lost to Washington. The Demons will play Burlington on the road Sept. 23.
Washington will next participate in the West Liberty Varsity Volleyball Tournament on Saturday. It will compete with Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Danville, Muscatine and West Liberty.
