Geneseo downs Ottawa, Sterling
In conference action this past week, the Lady Leaf volleyball team notched wins over Ottawa and Sterling.
Geneseo vs. Ottawa
Geneseo captured another conference victory, 25-18 and 25-19 over visiting Ottawa on Oct. 7.
“We did really well, the girls enjoyed being there and had fun,” said head coach Rachel Hufford. “The key (to getting the win) was keeping our momentum even when we were down.”
Leading the offensive attack were Allison?Hudson with seven kills, Sarah Ward, nine assists and Kelsey Burress, six service aces.
Others adding to the offense were Nicole Adams putting away five kills and Maggie Bergeson, four. Hillary Lyon had eight assists, while teammate Katie Lenz ended with two service aces.
“Another key was that not just one person stood out (Tuesday night),” said Hufford. “Allison Hudson and Nicole Adams did a good job in the front row and Kelsey Burress served well.”
Defensively for Geneseo, Adams finished with five blocks, while Hudson had one. Burress and Ward both ended the contest with two digs.
The sophomores won their match with Ottawa in two games, 25-11 and 25-20. No freshman scores were available.
Geneseo at Moline Invite
On Oct. 4, the Geneseo volleyball competed in the Moline Invitational.
The scores of the tournament are as follows: Geneseo versus Moline No. 1, 6-21 and 12-21; Geneseo versus Freeport, 14-21 and 8-21; Geneseo versus Davenport West, 20-22 and 21-23; and Geneseo versus Moline No. 2, 25-16 and 25-19.
“A little bit of both (Geneseo faced good teams and had an off weekend),” said Hufford. “The competition was pretty high and we didn’t play to our full potential. We had an off week last week.”
Tournament statistics: Digs- Lenz, nine and Buress, six. Blocks- Hudson and Adams, five; and Alyssa Patterson, four. Service aces- Ward, three; and Burress and Jenna Mickley, two apiece. Kills- Adams, 11; Hudson, eight and Buress, five. Assists- Lyon and Ward, 19 apiece.
Geneseo vs. Sterling
The?Lady Leafs got back on the winning track Oct. 2 with a 25-14 and 26-24 win over host Sterling.
“We did really well and they never gave up,” said Hufford. “The first game we won pretty easily, but in the second game Sterling turned things around and were winning. But the girls never gave up.”
Offensively, Ward led the team in assists and kills, eight assists and put away five kills. Lyon added six assists and one service ace. Burress added four kills, while Adams put three hits past the Sterling defense. Mickley finished the game with three service aces, while Hudson ended with one.
On the defensive side, Hudson came up with five digs to lead the team and added two blocks. Lyon finished with three digs, followed by Brittany Haertjens with two. Adams led the team in blocks with four.
The sophomore volleyball girls also nabbed a victory over Sterling, 25-17 and 25-18. The freshman girls won the first game against Sterling, 25-13, but were then defeated in games two and three, 20-25 and 21-25.
“I look for our front row to step up (getting ready for the postseason),” said Hufford. “Our defense is doing well, we just need to get our offense rolling.”
The Lady Leafs (8-8 overall and 4-1 in the NCIC) will next compete in the United Township Volleyball Tournament at 9 a.m. Oct. 11.
