Team effort lifts top-ranked Lady Tigers to win at Neosho County

Getting kills from seven players, the No. 1-ranked Cowley College volleyball team defeated Neosho County 25-15, 25-15, 25-9 on Wednesday night in Chanute, KS.

Cowley is now 18-0 overall and 5-0 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Lady Tigers remain one-half game behind Johnson County (6-0) for the top spot in the conference. Neosho County (4-14) is now 2-4 in the conference.

On Wednesday, Cowley started slowly in the first two sets before pulling away for the victories.

In set one, Cowley trailed 11-8 before scoring nine of the next 10 points on its way to the 25-15 win.

Set two was much of the same, with Cowley trailing 8-7 before scoring eight of the next nine points to grab control in the 25-15 victory. The Lady Tigers then scored the first three points of set three and cruised to the 25-9 win.

"We started the match slowly, but once we got to the middle of the first and second sets, we used our serve and balanced attack to take off," Cowley head coach Steven Gream said. "

Freshman setter Hanna Darvas posted her third double-double with 37 assists and a season-high 19 digs while adding a team-high three aces, while sophomore Sara Puskus led Cowley with 14 kills

Laura Bonomi added 10 kills, five digs, and three aces, and Cowley finished with nine aces as a team.

Lu Ceroni (nine kills) and Jessi Ritchhart (27 digs) were also instrumental in the win.

"Lu was huge for us," Gream said. "When she started getting sets, it opened up so much of our offense."

Cowley, winners of 59 matches in a row, has an opportunity to tie the school-record win streak of 60 matches in a row when they host the McPherson JV on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The McPherson JV will be no slouch as they defeated Jayhawk Conference foe Allen Community College earlier in the season.

"We will not overlook McPherson and want to play to our standards," Gream said. "We want to use this match to get us prepared for our two conference games next week against Labette and Johnson County."