Bethel volleyball splits on the road in Atchison
The Threshers dominated Hannibal-LaGrange, then lose their first match of the season to Benedictine on Tuesday
ATCHISON — The Bethel volleyball team split two games on the road on Tuesday, sweeping Hannibal-LaGrange University and dropping a match 3-0 to Benedictine in which their biggest set loss was by six points.
“Getting a solid win against Hannibal Lagrange was good to see,” said head coach Adriana Leake. “We played really well all the way around. Against Benedictine our defense was really tough and had some shining moments. Our hitters worked really hard to stay aggressive and look for ways to score, even though they were put in some really tough situations.”
The Threshers’ hitters are some of the more experienced in the KCAC, with four hitters returning this year with 2023-2024 KCAC conference accolades. Leading the way in the doubleheader was senior Kylah Carter with 15 kills over the two matches. Sophomore Cameron Offerle and senior Laci Ownbey followed with 13 and 12 kills over the two games respectively.
“I think our team did a great job of being aggressive offensively,” said Carter, from Houston, Tex. “Even though our second match did not fall in our favor, we played with lots of energy and hustle. Win or lose, our passion for the game will always show on the floor…when we are in system, our offense is nearly unstoppable.”
While the Threshers are an offensive powerhouse, they also thrive on defense, led by sophomore Darla Crow blocking prowess. Crow led the team with eight blocks through the two matches in Atchison. Freshman Abby Koontz had the most digs for Bethel, with 23, and Offerle added 19 of her own.
Despite their strong defensive presence, the Threshers had only a week before their first game, and are still ironing out some wrinkles in the young season.
“We've spent most of our practice time preparing for game play, being able to just play together,” said Leake. “Serving and serve receive is a repetition thing that we just haven't had the hours that need to be dedicated to that skill. I feel excited that it's something simple like that that made the difference because we just need a little more time to get to where we need to be in that area.”
The Thresher volleyball team knows that this year can be a big one, and are not discouraged by early season losses. Coach Leake and her team are ready for the upcoming challenges, and will do whatever it takes to stay focused on the end goal.
“We're using the games to expose things that we need to be better at, and then we get to work getting better at those things,” said Leake. “We're focused and excited about seeing some tough teams at Hastings & learning more about our team and how we can grow.”
The Threshers take on Hastings College on Friday at 2 p.m. in the first of three matches in a tournament in Hastings, Neb. over the weekend.