Lady Wildcats get back at Lions
August 18, 2021 at 4:18 p.m.
Lady Wildcats get back at Lions
By Will Fehlinger-
In Monday’s season opener for both schools at the newly air-conditioned FCHS gym, the hosts got payback by completing a sweep of their own: 25-22, 25-18, 25-9.
The Lions, who lost eight seniors to graduation, relied heavily on lone senior Olivia Yager while also working in a pair of starting freshmen in Audrey Angle and Trisha Morgan. Rushville kept the first set tight and played with FC for most of the second until a three-point run by the Cats forced a visitor timeout at 20-15.
A block gave side-out to the Lions but a kill by Kassidy Schell and two by Saige Mergenthal had coach Nan Scanlan calling time at 23-16. At 24-18, FC found an opening on the Rushville court to secure a 2-0 match lead.
With an 11-7 lead in the third, the home team made a serious run to take 14 of the next 16 points and end the night early.
“We had a great first night,” said coach Jill Mergenthal. “These girls are proving to themselves they can adapt to change in a moment’s notice. I really like what I saw tonight.”
The Wildcat coach likes her versatile roster this season.
“There are most definitely some strong rotations with them,” she added. “When momentum is on their side, there’s no stopping this team.”
The Lions led 6-4 in the first thanks to a Yager kill but Schell and Hadlee Hornsby matched her as FC reeled off six straight. FC later led 15-10 before the guests made a 7-2 run to knot things at 17. The teams traded points ahead of a 7-4 FC run to close the set; a Lion violation was the final point.
Yager served Rushville to a 5-0 start in the next set. Down 8-4, Mergenthal served FC back into the set. The final tie came at 11 before a point by Meredith Hoff and serving points for Hornsby. After an Addison Ballenger kill, the Lions committed two errors and Kiersten Schell earned a solo block.
On match point in the third, Ka. Schell dropped in an ace to finish the Lions. She finished with 5 aces, 11 kills, 8 assists, a block and dig. Kiersten added 7 kills, another block and 4 digs. Kacie Williams had 15 assists and 4 digs.
Yager had 7 points, 3 aces, 9 kills, 6 assists and 9 digs while Angle chipped in 5 kills and a solo block and Morgan 2 kills, 5 assists, 10 serve receptions and 7 digs. Ericka Kuhn added 4 points, 16 serve receptions, 2 kills and 14 digs, Molly Zachery 11 serve receptions, and 34 digs and Carlie Kuhn 11 serve receptions and 7 digs.
Hornsby totaled 2 aces, 2 kills and 5 digs. Hoff added an ace, 5 kills, 2 blocks and 2 digs while Mergenthal had an ace, 4 kills, 3 blocks and a dig. Veronica Reeves had a kill and 3 blocks and Kylie Lea 2 digs; Kensee Ferman had a pair of kills.
High energy and serving helped FC win the reserve match, 25-14, 21-25, 15-7. Stephanie Billman led FC with 4 kills, 5 assists and 5 aces while Tiffany Billman added 4 kills. Annie Hoff had 4 aces and a block and Piper Twiggs 3 aces. Lauren Stacy had an ace, a kill and dig and Vivian Silas a kill and block. Kristen Ison added a kill and Cydney Morehead 2 kills and an ace. Chloe Clark and Daphne Stokes had an assist each.
Kiley Parsley had 4 kills, 5 points, 2 aces, 7 serve receptions and 5 digs for the guests. Emi Flannery added 7 points, 10 serve receptions, 7 digs and 1 solo block. Jocelyn Cain had 3 kills, Brittany Mahan 4 points, 1 ace, 2 kills, 4 assists and 5 digs and Lily Brown 14 serve receptions and 8 digs.
The Lady Lions travel to Tri tonight while FC goes to Connersville Saturday.
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In Monday’s season opener for both schools at the newly air-conditioned FCHS gym, the hosts got payback by completing a sweep of their own: 25-22, 25-18, 25-9.
The Lions, who lost eight seniors to graduation, relied heavily on lone senior Olivia Yager while also working in a pair of starting freshmen in Audrey Angle and Trisha Morgan. Rushville kept the first set tight and played with FC for most of the second until a three-point run by the Cats forced a visitor timeout at 20-15.
A block gave side-out to the Lions but a kill by Kassidy Schell and two by Saige Mergenthal had coach Nan Scanlan calling time at 23-16. At 24-18, FC found an opening on the Rushville court to secure a 2-0 match lead.
With an 11-7 lead in the third, the home team made a serious run to take 14 of the next 16 points and end the night early.
“We had a great first night,” said coach Jill Mergenthal. “These girls are proving to themselves they can adapt to change in a moment’s notice. I really like what I saw tonight.”
The Wildcat coach likes her versatile roster this season.
“There are most definitely some strong rotations with them,” she added. “When momentum is on their side, there’s no stopping this team.”
The Lions led 6-4 in the first thanks to a Yager kill but Schell and Hadlee Hornsby matched her as FC reeled off six straight. FC later led 15-10 before the guests made a 7-2 run to knot things at 17. The teams traded points ahead of a 7-4 FC run to close the set; a Lion violation was the final point.
Yager served Rushville to a 5-0 start in the next set. Down 8-4, Mergenthal served FC back into the set. The final tie came at 11 before a point by Meredith Hoff and serving points for Hornsby. After an Addison Ballenger kill, the Lions committed two errors and Kiersten Schell earned a solo block.
On match point in the third, Ka. Schell dropped in an ace to finish the Lions. She finished with 5 aces, 11 kills, 8 assists, a block and dig. Kiersten added 7 kills, another block and 4 digs. Kacie Williams had 15 assists and 4 digs.
Yager had 7 points, 3 aces, 9 kills, 6 assists and 9 digs while Angle chipped in 5 kills and a solo block and Morgan 2 kills, 5 assists, 10 serve receptions and 7 digs. Ericka Kuhn added 4 points, 16 serve receptions, 2 kills and 14 digs, Molly Zachery 11 serve receptions, and 34 digs and Carlie Kuhn 11 serve receptions and 7 digs.
Hornsby totaled 2 aces, 2 kills and 5 digs. Hoff added an ace, 5 kills, 2 blocks and 2 digs while Mergenthal had an ace, 4 kills, 3 blocks and a dig. Veronica Reeves had a kill and 3 blocks and Kylie Lea 2 digs; Kensee Ferman had a pair of kills.
High energy and serving helped FC win the reserve match, 25-14, 21-25, 15-7. Stephanie Billman led FC with 4 kills, 5 assists and 5 aces while Tiffany Billman added 4 kills. Annie Hoff had 4 aces and a block and Piper Twiggs 3 aces. Lauren Stacy had an ace, a kill and dig and Vivian Silas a kill and block. Kristen Ison added a kill and Cydney Morehead 2 kills and an ace. Chloe Clark and Daphne Stokes had an assist each.
Kiley Parsley had 4 kills, 5 points, 2 aces, 7 serve receptions and 5 digs for the guests. Emi Flannery added 7 points, 10 serve receptions, 7 digs and 1 solo block. Jocelyn Cain had 3 kills, Brittany Mahan 4 points, 1 ace, 2 kills, 4 assists and 5 digs and Lily Brown 14 serve receptions and 8 digs.
The Lady Lions travel to Tri tonight while FC goes to Connersville Saturday.
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