Cobras to 4-0 in district after rival game

By Millie Diaz

    When Cobra senior Joy Schroeder didn't play very much in last Tuesday's volleyball game against Boling, she started saving up her stamina, and it showed in the Industrial showdown against the Cowgirls in the Edna dome gym.

    Industrial took the district game against their county rivals in three sets, with final scores of 25-17, 25-13 and 25-8. This brings their district record to 4-0.

    "I was ready," Schroeder said, who stands at six feet tall. "All of that energy I wasn't able to use…I got to use it today, and it was really fun." She smiled. "Really fun."

    The first set seemed to be the most rallied out of the three, and the Cobras let the Cowgirls sneak up on their score a touch. More than once the teams found themselves tied, only to rally again even longer for another point.

    "In the first set we were missing communication, and I think momentum and more talking helped up build each other back up," Schroeder said. "The rest was easier after that."

    Another of Cobra's heavy hitters, Savhannah Kitchens, also standing at six feet, was ready on the court too, and pulled out kill after kill along with Schroeder, making it difficult for the Cowgirls to return the hit, or even break serve at times. Freshman Kylann Griffith and sophomore Denae Brown also executed kills that caught the Edna side off guard.

    That's not to say Edna senior Bailey Brown wasn't doing her job on the court as a senior and one of the captains. Known for her accurate kills, Brown kept her team together with communication and making solid moves trying to make offbeat moves Industrial might miss.

    Cowgirls Paxton Koop, Elizabeth Alex and Raney Orsak ran for a few big saves and second moves for their team, in addition to executing clean, first passes. Acajia Dickerson pulled out 10 digs playing back row.

    Communication was at a high by the third set for Industrial, and the Cobras scored runs that made it hard for Edna to come back from.

    Cobra head coach Jenna Treybig agreed with Schroeder in that the team started off slow at first, but realized what they needed to do.

    "Sometimes it takes that one play, that dig or kill, or when someone runs out to get a ball, because those are moments you can give up, or you can choose to push," she said. "I think we took care of that tonight."

    Industrial statistics: Denae Brown- 5 kills; Kylann Griffith- 4 kills, 1 block, 2 digs, 1 ace; Maddison Heibel-1 kill, 22 assists, 3 digs; Savhannah Kitchens- 9 kills, 2 digs, 2 aces; Sarah Kusak- 1 kill, 1 assist, 3 digs, 1 ace; Skylar Lenamon- 1 kill, 2 assists, 4 digs; Lexey Mikulec- 1 dig; Joy Schroeder- 9 kills; Brooke Williams- 2 kills, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 digs, 3 aces. 

    Edna statistics: Elizabeth Alex- 9 assists, 1 kill, 1 ace, 5 digs; Paxton Koop - 5 assists, 1 kill, 2 aces, 3 digs, 1 block; Bailey Brown- 13 kills, 5 digs; Kylee Ressman- 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 block; Acajia Dickerson - 2 kills, 1 assist, 10 digs; Raney Orsak - 7 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace; Melani Guzman - 5 digs, 1 assist

    A more in-depth article on the game will be in the Oct. 5 issue of the Jackson County Herald-Tribune.