No. 5-ranked Lady Tigers make a statement with win at Butler; blast Ottawa JV

Taking a step up in competition, the Cowley College volleyball team remained unbeaten on the season with a convincing 25-17, 25-21, 26-24 win over NJCAA Division I opponent Butler Community College Friday in El Dorado. The Lady Tigers returned home on Saturday and took down the Ottawa University JV 26-24, 25-15, 25-13.

Cowley, fifth in the NJCAA Division II rankings, is now 9-0 on the season.

On Friday, the Lady Tigers followed the game plan of serving aggressively, balancing their attack, and playing solid defense, which made Butler uncomfortable on offense.

Freshman Sara Puskus led Cowley with 13 kills, while Laura Bonomi added her fifth double-double on the season with 12 kills and 15 digs.

"Sara provided a strong balance in our attack with Butler so focused on our outside hitters," Cowley head coach Steven Gream said. "Laura was also a solid presence on the court with her strong attack and defensive skills that allowed us to keep pressure on Butler."

Sophomore Sadie Kabisch recorded a career-high 28 digs in the win, and Cowley limited Butler to a .120 hitting percentage.

"Our defense really stepped up in this match," Gream said.

The loss drops Butler's record to 7-5 on the season.

Cowley then returned home to face the Ottawa University JV on Saturday. The Braves pushed Cowley in the opening set before the Lady Tigers were able to get into a rhythm and pull away in sets two and three.

"The Ottawa JV are very competitive and have actually beat some teams in our conference and played other conference teams tight," Gream said. "I think coming off of the big win against Butler and the long week we had, we just came out a little flat."

Bonomi led Cowley with 18 kills while recording a team-leading .552 hitting percentage.

"Laura is playing good volleyball right now on both the attack and on defense," Gream said. "She is fearless and puts a lot of pressure on our opponents on both sides of the ball."

Puskas had another stellar day with nine kills while hitting .421 with two blocks and two aces. Valarie Luna was also a force on offense and defense with her eight kills while hitting .462 with two blocks and multiple block touches.

Freshman Lu Ceroni also stepped in and did a solid job with five kills, two blocks, and an ace.

"She gave us new life at the end of the first set and carried that on into the second and third set," Gream said.

After recording 38 assists in the win over Butler, sophomore Rossana Papa once again led the offense with 42 assists in the win over Ottawa.

Cowley will attempt to improve its record to 4-0 in the Jayhawk Conference when they play at Highland Community College on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The Lady Scotties are just 4-6 overall, but 2-1 in the conference.

"As with all of our conference matches, we will need to be as prepared as we can be and be ready to play at a high level," Gream said. "Playing a conference team on the road is always tough, so we have to have a laser focus on the court and play our game."

Photo provided by James Dill