Mt. Pleasant, IA- For the past couple of seasons, Mt. Pleasant has usually fielded a younger team with their two top attackers being Alex Scott and Addison Clark, while Abby Carthey has been the main setter since her sophomore season.
That talented group, hoping to make a move in the Southeast Conference (SEC), is now enjoying their senior season. With 10 seniors on the roster, first year head coach Alicia Schrader is certainly enjoying the wealth of experience boasting from the roster,
“I mean, we’re very lucky. We have great leaders. We have two captains, but I mean we could have 5 captains. So, they all have been at this for a long time. They work hard, they’re competitive, they give it everything they got every game, so it’s fun to watch.”
That show was on full display in their home opener last night, as the Panthers entered with a 6-3 overall record but an 0-1 conference record, falling to Washington in straight sets a week ago. A 2-9 Keokuk team waltzed in unprepared for the barrage they would face.
Immediately, the Panthers jumped out to a 3 to 0 lead, which extended to 14 to 7 and eventually maxed out at 19 to 9. Keokuk would go on a 6 to 0 run, but nine combined blocks from Scott and Clark and four team aces allowed Mt. Pleasant to pull away with set one, 25-14.
The final point scored on a Jenna Schwartz block solo, her third block of the set. One of the few seniors who get action was a wall at the net, blocking five attacks by the end of the match. Coach Schrader talked about her development as a middle hitter,
“It’s awesome. She just it’s fun. I want her to have that confidence. She’s pretty, like, timid and she should just know that. And she’s doing great. And we’ve been working hard in those blocks, and you can tell that you know it’s she’s doing a wonderful job…”
The two teams traded points to start the second set, but errors ruled on the Chiefs attacks allowing for Scott to tally five more kills on the night and for Kynlee White—another senior—to solidify the win with two late kills. A 25-15 final in set two.
That momentum led to a 6 to 0 run for the Panthers to begin the third set. Coach Schrader was pleased with how the offense was performing last night,
“Our offense and our setters are key, always like they run the show, so we need them to be on and make good decisions and be smart. And I think they’re making really great decisions. They’ve been playing well, they work hard. We’ve been doing a lot of different talk on how we can get to the net quicker and we’re trying to run some more plays and switch things up a little bit. So, push them a little more even though they’re comfortable in what we’re doing. We’re trying to make it a little bit more. So, they’re doing a great job.”
After a Keokuk timeout, the Chiefs marched back into the game, scoring five points in a row. This would continue for most of the third set, including a 10 to 10 tie after 20 points. Mt. Pleasant would manage to stay a point ahead until an ace by Clark signaled a late run and eventual 25-18 final and sweep for Mt. Pleasant.
However, the third set signaled an emphasis that coach Schrader is hoping to limit in future matchups,
“We talk about limiting our mental errors, our unforced errors. I think that’s really our key. We have a lot of talent. I mean, we really do, but we sometimes lose focus, we might miss a serve that is crucial, or we might make a bad serve-receive pass. So just staying focused the whole time and limiting those hitting errors, serving errors, unforced errors…”
Scott led the offensive effort with 13 kills and an ace, while Clark tallied 11 kills with three aces and a block assist. Schwartz turned in six kills and the aforementioned five blocks. Overall, the Panthers finished with seven aces and six blocks.
Mt. Pleasant improved to 7-3 (1-1 in the SEC) and they will compete in a tournament at Wilton on Saturday, September 13th, before heading to Fort Madison next Tuesday, September 16th.
Keokuk will travel to Centerville on Saturday for the Redette Tournament before hosting Washington on Tuesday.