By Lauren Sieh
Staff reporter
The volleyball team is out to a hot start, quite literally. The Lady Moundbuilders were set to go up against the Bethel Threshers on Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. in the Stewart Field House, but with the temperatures inside exceeding the heat outside, the game was postponed and moved to the Winfield High School gym.
The team would inevitably fall to Bethel, but refused to lose without a fight. The first set would play in our favor, 25-18. The Threshers would then come back and win the second and third set, 25-20, 25-18. The Lady Builders seemed to come alive in the fourth set, 25-20. The game was now tied leading up to the fifth set. The fifth set went back and forth between the two teams with the Threshers coming out victorious, 15-13. The Bethel Threshers defeated the Lady Builders 3-2.
Kayln Beel, senior right-side hitter, led the team with 18 kills and made 42 attempts in scoring points. Jake Conrad, head volleyball coach, said, “Kayln Beel was absolutely phenomenal. She absolutely was a threat today.”
Alyxandra Baker, junior middle hitter, had 11 kills and 20 total attempts. Deardin Kelley, senior outside hitter, led the Lady Builders in attempts, 51. Kelly had a respectful 10 kills.
Kanami Ellis, junior right side/outside hitter, shared her thoughts on the game. “I think we started off pretty strong, but then we started to get in a rut. We started to get into our own heads and we kind of stopped playing together. Towards the end, we kind of found our mojo back, but I think we started playing like ourselves again a little too late,” said Ellis.
When asked about his goals for the team the for the rest of the season, Conrad said, “Our goals are to finish top three in conference and to hopefully gives us a fighting chance with the big dance postseason.”
The Lady Moundbuilders next two games will be on Aug. 23 at the Fall Fling in Hutchison, KS against Southwestern Assemblies of God at 11 a.m. and Saint Mary at 5 p.m.
