Cottey Comets earn two more wins

The Cottey College Comets volleyball team grabbed a pair of wins in a triangular match on Friday, Oct. 15, in Parsons, Kan. In the opening match, the Comets lost the first two sets, but still came back to defeat the home team, Labette County Community College, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17, 25-11, 16-14, and in the nightcap, the Comets took another five-game match, this one against Northern Oklahoma College, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22, 15-13, dropping the first and fourth sets.

The Comets are getting hot at the right time of the season as they have now won four in a row and five of their last six matches. "Somebody get me down from this ceiling was my quote for the team after taking Labette County and Enid, Okla., on Friday night," said head coach Marla Kannady Foreman. Two weeks ago, the Comets were 4-8 and looking at a long road stretch.

"There are times when a team can get into a slump about this time of the season," said Foreman. "It can happen to high school and college players all the time. However, I would like to tell you that my Cottey Comets team is playing some great ball right now, and I don't see them going into a slump anytime soon. We are playing together as a team, working hard at what we need to, and making things happen here at the end of our regular season schedule."

The Comets were feeling a bit sluggish going into the opening match against Labette. It was mid-terms week and the team had been feeling the pressure of tests and papers all week long. That sluggishness showed as the Lady Cardinals jumped out to a two-games-to-none lead. The Comets fought back to take the next two games and send it into a fifth and final game.

In the fifth, the Comets were tied with Labette, 11-11, and then found themselves down 14-13. The Lady Cardinals were serving for game and match point, but the Comets scored three consecutive points to take the game and the match in stunning fashion.

Team leaders for the Comets against Labette were Kailey Kelly with 19 assists and Emily Moore with 13 digs. Amanda Taylor and Ashley Helm each tied for the team lead in kills and blocks with 11 kills and five blocks each. Helm added two aces and 12 digs in an all-around excellent effort.

The Comets must like to come from behind as the Lady Jets from Enid, Okla., took the first game of the match. The Comets took the next two, and lost game four to send yet another match into the fifth game. In that deciding game, Cottey found themselves down 9-8 and 12-10 before going on a 5-1 run to seal the second victory of the evening.

"We have played Enid probably four or five times now since the onset of the program, and this was the first time we have ever beaten this college," said Foreman.

Against the Lady Jets, the Comets were led by Kelly and Natalie Larsen with 21 assists each, Helm with 17 kills, Brooke McKinley with five blocks, and Moore with 17 digs.

The wins raised the Comets' record to 8-9 on the season. The Comets were to take a trip to Iola, Kan., on Wednesday, Oct. 20, to face Allen County Community College, before returning to Hinkhouse Gymnasium tonight, to take on Baptist Bible College.