Comets drop match to visiting NEO

Matthew Resnick/Daily Mail/ Cottey Comets freshman Ann Lipscomb looks to return a volley during the Comets Thursday night contest against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

The Cottey Comets volleyball team was unable to extend its two-game winning streak, falling in three sets to the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Lady Norse, Thursday night at Cottey.

With the 25-18, 25-10, 25-16 loss ---- Cottey is now 7-16 overall.

The Comets looked sharp early, as a Morgan Taylor kill handed Cottey a 9-7 lead. The Lady Norse knotted the score at nine apiece via back-to-back kills from Jalee Dollarhide and Caroline Martins.

The Comets had difficulty containing Martins as she piled up another three kills during a 9-2 run that put NEO on top 18-11. Cottey sliced the lead to 21-17 as a 4-0 run beginning with an Anjolene Bozeman ace, ended with a Bozeman service-error.

NEO closed out the set with a 4-1 run capped by Jordan King's match-point dump that fell in-between several Cottey players.

The Lady Norse put Cottey in an early second set hole, jumping on top 4-0, and then extending its lead to 10-2. During the run Dollarhide came up with consecutive aces.

Cottey responded with two quick points, as a Melanie Dillon kill cut NEO's lead to six.

Cottey however, was unable to slow the Lady Norse, as they pulled away for the 15-point second set victory.

Things didn't get any easier for the Comets in the third game, as NEO opened the set with a 7-1 blitz. The Comets inched back into the game with a 3-0 spurt to trim the Lady Norse lead to 7-4.

Later in the set, a Dollarhide spike gave NEO a 12-7 cushion, followed by an Adi Etcheson hitting error, decreasing the Lady Norse advantage to four.

As NEO began to pull away, a Madelyn Underwood strike drew Cottey to within eight at 22-14. Later, a Dillon tap for a point made the score 23-16. The match concluded with a Cottey hitting error at the net.

Up next

The Comets close out their regular season with a home match against Allen County Community College (Kan.) Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Region 16 tournament

The NJCAA Region 16 tournament is set to take place Nov. 6-7 in Lexington, Mo. Match times for the tournament have yet to be released.

Check future editions of the Daily Mail for the latest on Comets VB