Linn-Mar lives up to early ranking in sweep of Cedar Rapids Kennedy

CEDAR RAPIDS — These jitters didn’t originate from a lack of experience.

Rather, an abundance of expectations.

“Yeah, we were nervous,” Linn-Mar Coach Nikki Rowland said. “We got a nice preseason ranking, and we want to stay there.”

Class 5A 10th-ranked Linn-Mar served 14 aces and swept Cedar Rapids Kennedy (25-19, 25-22, 25-19) in an MVC Mississippi Division volleyball opener Tuesday night at Kennedy High School.

“Nervous? Maybe a little,” libero Emily Brunson said.

Setter Karsyn Michael clarified: “It was more excitement than anything.”

Linn-Mar (1-0 overall, 1-0 division) held off late rallies from the Cougars (0-1, 0-1) in the first and third sets.

In the opener, Kennedy carved a 20-13 deficit to 21-20 before the Lions closed it out. And in the finale, the Cougars scored eight consecutive points off the serve of Charley Lovell to climb within 19-18.

But a pair of kills from Peyton Busch, plus a kill and an ace from Kira Klesner, were part of a 4-1 run that made it 23-19, and the Lions were safe again.

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Linn-Mar’s kill advantage was a mere 36-34, but the aces were a major factor.

Kelsey Klesner had five of them, Brunson and Kira Klesner three apiece.

“We were serving to seams,” Brunson said. “Serving where they were stacked.”

The Klesner twins accounted for 18 kills (10 from Kira), and Busch added seven.

“I can count on all of our hitters, it’s just a matter of who is doing best at a certain point in time,” said Michael, who distributed 30 assists.

Kennedy’s Adalyn Hermanson led all attackers with 15 kills. One of three freshmen in the Cougars’ starting lineup, Lovell had 31 assists.

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Linn-Mar 3, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 0

(25-22, 25-19, 25-22)

At C.R. Kennedy

Serving: Linn-Mar 66-73 (.904), Kennedy 55-64 (.859)

Aces: Linn-Mar 14 (Kelsey Klesner 5), Kennedy 6 (Addy Phillips, Charley Lovell 2)

Kills: Linn-Mar 36 (Kira Klesner 10), Kennedy 34 (Adalyn Hermanson 15)

Assists: Linn-Mar 32 (Karsyn Michael 30), Kennedy 33 (Lovell 31)

Blocks: Linn-Mar 6 (Benita Anyanwu, Michael 2), Kennedy 2 (Phillips 2)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com