Off the bench, and into the limelight

MARION - Linn-Mar's 'utility” player was also its clutch player.

Abby McGowan came off the bench late in the third set, provided a spark and ultimately propelled Class 5A ninth-ranked Linn-Mar past Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a five-set MVC Valley Division volleyball match Tuesday night at Linn-Mar High School.

Scores were 19-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-21 and 15-10.

'I was just ready to go, ready to go in,” McGowan said. 'I was pumped either way. It was just a matter of paying attention and knowing where I need to be.”

Lions Coach Teresa Kehe used basically a seven-player rotation for most of the first three sets, then added McGowan (a senior) and freshman Carly Spies (a freshman) to the fray late in Game 3.

'I guess it was just a hunch,” Kehe said. 'I thought maybe some fresh legs would help. And they did.”

McGowan supplied six kills in the fourth set, then three more in the finale.

'She's our utility girl,” Kehe said. 'She comes in and gives us a little fire, and we needed a little pick-me-up.

'It's early in the season, and you want to find out early what kids are able to do. Are they going to step up or step out?”

Down two sets to one and trailing 10-8 in the fourth game, Linn-Mar (1-0 overall, 1-0 MVC Valley) was teetering a bit. But a six-point run put the Lions in front, and they didn't face another deficit the rest of the night.

After capturing Game 4, the Lions scored the first five points in the final set and cruised home from there.

McGowan's little sister - sophomore Emilee McGowan - led the Lions with 12 kills despite standing 5-foot-5.

Sami Boekhoff added 11 kills for the winners. Sarah Renner and Ellie Anderson split the setting duties, with 20-plus assists apiece. Renner collected six blocks; Anderson served six aces.

Kennedy (2-2, 0-1) was playing its third ranked 5A opponent in four matches. The Cougars picked off No. 6 Pleasant Valley last Thursday, and were in position to take down another rated foe Tuesday.

'We did some good things, but Linn-Mar has some salty swings,” Kennedy Coach Michelle Goodall said. 'After the match, we wrote down 10 things to work on, and I think eight of them revolve around blocking.”

Anna Fluent posted a match-high 13 kills and 40 assists for Kennedy. Macy Anderson added 12 kills.

LINN-MAR 3, CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 2 (19-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 15-10)

At Linn-Mar

Serving: Kennedy 93-102 (.912), Linn-Mar 92-104 (.885); Aces: Kennedy 11 (Paige Franck 5), Linn-Mar 9 (Ellie Anderson 6); Kills: Kennedy 56 (Anna Fluent 13), Linn-Mar 60 (Emilee McGowan 12); Assists: Kennedy 52 (Fluent 40), Linn-Mar 51 (Sarah Renner 24); Blocks: Kennedy 7 (Brinley Milbrath 3), Linn-Mar 14 (Renner 6).

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com