Moniteau girls volleyball survives ‘up and down’ battle with Karns City to keep playoff hopes alive
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Moniteau celebrates after they defeated Karns City in 5 games in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Moniteau (3) Sophia Fleeger serves the ball to Karns City in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Moniteau (3) Sophia Fleeger celebrates after they defeated Karns City in 5 games in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Moniteau (11) Natelee Klixbull blocks a hit by Karns City (13) Regan Schmoll in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Moniteau (7) Lily Stoob tips the ball over Karns City in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Moniteau (7) Lily Stoob celebrates after they defeated Karns City in 5 games in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Karns City (7) Jaysa Capone and (14) Jessica Rodgers collide as the hit the ball against Moniteau in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
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Moniteau (24) Sydnee Brunst collides with (21) Emily Matz tries to dug the ball against Karns City in a girls volleyball game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Moniteau High School.(Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle)
CHERRY TWP — After letting out a deep breath, Moniteau girls volleyball coach Kaitlyn Loos gave a candid assessment.
“They have me at a loss this year,” she said of her team after a 3-2 KSAC home win over Karns City. “It’s just up and down and up and down and up and down.”
So was the Warriors’ Thursday night match.
Moniteau (2-7) controlled the majority of the initial two sets — winning them 25-13 and 25-16 — before the Gremlins coerced them into a fifth game by claiming the next two 25-14 and 25-22. Moniteau returned to its original form in emerging on top in the final stanza 15-10.
Behind a pair of aces by Emily Matz and a Bella Hernandez kill, the Warriors powered to a 5-0 lead in the deciding set. Four games earlier, that duo helped Moniteau tally the initial six points of the match.
Unofficially, Hernandez had 10 kills and four aces in the win. For the Gremlins, Naomi Venesky had 10 kills, two aces and two blocks.
Aided by a couple of Lily Staab aces, the Warriors used a nine-point surge later in that opening set to make it 20-8. The Warriors never trailed in that one. During the next, Moniteau had an eight-point run and a nine-point flurry.
Karns City (2-6) looked like a different team in the middle game, leading 17-4 at one point. Gremlins coach Taylor Callihan credited more communication and movement for the turnaround.
“Very proud of how they overcame the first two sets and didn’t let it bring us down like it would have last season,” Callihan said. “We’re doing a lot better at keeping the momentum when we get it and driving with it.”
“They all know what they’re supposed to do,” Loos said. “They do it every time, and then we just hit that wall. We needed to get back to hitting like we did the first game. First game, we came out strong. Third game, I think we had half the kills we had in the first and second games.”
It was the fifth time this season the Warriors went five sets.
Loos emphasized a need for her team to pocket the momentum provided from the win. She feels the Warriors can’t afford any defeats going forward if they’re to make the postseason.
“They know it has to at this point,” Loos said. “With the way our season started, we’re out of time to keep waiting for that to happen.”
Karns City left with a measure of encouragement as well.
“I think that says that they definitely have the drive to want to win,” Callihan said. “They have the ability to want to win. It’s just when they put their minds to it ... that they’re able to.”
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