MTZ volleyball loses on the road

By BLAKE FAITH
Staff Writer

The Mt. Zion volleyball team lost a non-conference match against Marla-Forsyth in two sets. Alex Smith recorded eight kills in the match.

In the second set, the Braves started off with a 3-1 lead. Hannah Sago scored on back-to-back kills and a Trojans’ failed serve gave the Braves an early lead.

The Trojans scored four straight pointS, but the Braves countered. Isabelle Holmes scored off a kill and Madison Koester scored on an axe to tie the game at 5-5.

The Trojans went on to put-score the Braves 6- on a run that disrupted the Braves’ offense. The Trojans’ capitalized on Braves’ failed returns, serves and one kill.

The Braves’ bounced back and rattled off four straight points. The points came from a mix of a couple failed returns, a Sago block and a Peyton Courson ace. The Braves narrowed the lead to 12-11.

The Trojans pulled away after two 4-0 runs that consisted mostly of failed returns from the Braves. After the first 4-0 run, the Braves cut the lead to 17-14 on a failed Trojans’ return and a Bracie Barnes block. The Trojans’ took a 21-14 lead after their second 4-0 run. Smith ended

the run with a kill and Macie Fleming made another kill to cut the lead to 23-16.

The Trojans finished winning the set 25-18. The Trojans won the first set 25-16.

I think we played off like they were fast and kept us out of system,” Head coach Traci Dyer Townsend said. “And we just did not come back.”

The Mt. Zion volleyball team began regional play earlier this week. The Braves faced Lincoln and coverage for that game will be in next week’s edition. Prior to the game Coach Townsend said her team would work on a lot of blocking in the practice before regionals.