8th JUNIOR LADY PUP SPIKERS SCORE SIX WINS

SWEEP NEWTON, WINFIELD & ARK CITY

By Staff

MCPHERSON – Between matches Thursday, September 28 and Monday, October 2, the McPherson Middle School eighth-grade volleyball teams scored six wins over Newton, Winfield and Ark City.

Junior Lady Pups 8th Grade ‘A’ Team >

On Thursday, the Junior Lady Pups ‘A’ team needed three sets to defeat Newton Chisholm Middle School in losing set one 22-25 before bouncing back to win sets two and three with identical 25-12 scores.

“We played a well-matched Newton Chisholm team this evening,” explained head coach Christine Pianalto. “During the first set we passed well and didn’t miss too many serves, but we were not aggressive enough at the net to put the pressure on their defense. That was our goal the rest of the game, and we came out strong in game two with aggressive swings at the net. The third set the girls really communicated, played with energy and didn’t give up. I was proud of how they bounced back.”

On Monday, the Junior Lady Pups eighth grade ‘A’ team made quick work of both matches with Ark City and Winfield, winning both in straight sets (25-11/25-12) and then (25-12/25-18).

According to coach Pianalto, “we played two strong matches tonight. I saw leadership from all over the court but would like to shout out to the extremely strong passing game from Jersey Alexander and Amarie Lowery. During both matches the girls moved their feet well while helping support and cover for each other on defense. Ellie Herrera and Allison Randa played well defensively at the net, recording a total of six blocks between the two of them. Our team saw continued strong serving and occasional setting assists from Karlie Cooper with Krysten Fenstermaker playing a big role serving and passing. Kennedy Bonham led the team in kills and contributed some really strong spikes.”

The Junior Lady Pup eighth grade ‘A’ team is now 13-3 for the season.

Junior Lady Pups eighth grade ‘B’ team >

For Thursday, the eighth grade ‘B’ team Junior Lady Pups swept Newton Chisholm in straight sets (25-13/25-17).

“The girls started strong and never gave up tonight,” pointed out ‘B’ team coach Tami Malm. “Our serving was the best it has been all season, as was our passing. Our hitters were able to get some swings in due to the great passing and setting. It was great to see the team work together and get the win.”

Monday, the ‘B’ team once again scored a clean sweep at home, this time beating Ark City (25-17/25-19) and Winfield (25-16/25-21).

Coach Malm finished her reflections by adding, “The girls played really well against Ark City as we had several long volley’s, and our passing was nearly perfect. Against Winfield, we lost our focus and had some unforced errors. Our serving was not as strong, but we did a good job of getting three hits before sending it over the net. It was nice to get two more wins tonight.

The Junior Lady Pups eighth grade ‘B’ team now stands 10-9 for the season.

It will be the final regular season match of the 2023 season next Monday, October 9 for the Junior Lady Pups eighth-grade volleyball teams as they travel to Circle just before the league tournament.

(Any questions/comments regarding this posting can be addressed to staff at macks.people.places@gmail.com)