Rally cats: Cougars slip by Wash

 CEDAR RAPIDS -- The Washington Warriors had two opportunities to close out the match.They wouldn't get a third.Cedar Rapids Kennedy sidestepped a pair of match points, narrowly averting a three-game sweep. Then they capitalized on their survival skills and edged Washington in a five-set Mississippi Valley Conference cross-division volleyball encounter Tuesday night at Kennedy High School.Scores were 14-25, 17-25, 27-25, 25-15 and 15-9."We tried so many different tactics," said Kennedy Coach Michelle Goodall. "We had given them specific roles, according to the scouting report."Finally, I just said they needed to play."For the early stretches of the match, it looked like it would be three straight, home by 8."I don't know what was going on," said Erin Coker, who led the Cougars (9-6) with 14 kills. "We were out of sync. Then we finally got into the a groove, and we started to play like ourselves."Washington (7-7) barreled through the first two games without much resistance, then put forth a late rush in Game 3 to move into position for a sweep. The Warriors scored four points for a 24-23 lead and match point.Nikki Dean's kill saved it, then Callie Cook's kill gave the Warriors a second chance.But a net serve and two attacking errors helped the Cougars off the mat. And the momentum shifted irreversibly."We made three straight mistakes there at the end of the third game, and we couldn't battle back from that," said Washington Coach Amy Faulkner. "That took our momentum away, and we never recovered after that."Kennedy zoomed to a 12-6 lead in Game 4 and cruised home to square the match. Then, a five-point run in the finale put the Cougars in command, 7-2.Washington got within 9-6, but Anna Fluent -- the Cougars' sophomore setter -- posted two kills in a three-point spree as Kennedy took control.Fluent posted 35 assists. And her 12 kills were second highest on the team."She's doing a great job, especially considering (her youth)," Coker said. "She's so strong mentally. She doesn't let errors get to her, and she takes charge out there."Kennedy won its second straight five-gamer against Metro competition; the Cougars outlasted Cedar Rapids Xavier a week earlier.Dani Franklin led the Warriors with 19 kills. Aleena Hobbs added 14. Victoria Adkins distributed 29 assists.   

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 3, CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON 2

Game

1

2

3

4

5

Cedar Rapids Washington (7-7)

25

25

25

15

9

Cedar Rapids Kennedy (9-6)

14

17

27

25

15

Serving: Washington 89-98 (.908), Kennedy 90-96 (.938)

Aces: Washington 12 (Kellie Walters, Sophia Smith 4), Kennedy 11 (Anna Fluent 4)

Kills: Washington 52 (Dani Franklin 19), Kennedy 50 (Erin Coker 14)

Assists: Washington 47 (Victoria Adkins 29), Kennedy 48 (Fluent 35)

Blocks: Washington 9 (Franklin 3), Kennedy 9 (Nikki Dean 5)