Bison drop straight-set decision to N.P.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Brooklynn Trew (6) of McCook reaches to try and block the tip by North Platte's Catelyn Lee during high school volleyball action at the Senior High gym Oct. 24. McCook dropped a straight-set decision to the Bulldogs.

Unfortunately for the McCook High School varsity volleyball squad, this season has been deja vu nearly every match.

The Bison can't stay away from passing and serving miscues, and North Platte capitalized Monday , Oct. 24, with a 25-17, 25-17, 25-10 win over McCook. Monday's match at the Senior High gym was postponed from Oct. 13.

The Bison stayed close in the first two sets, but the hosts could not put together a run to gain momentum and take the lead.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Sydney Clapp of McCook serves during volleyball action vs. North Platte Oct. 24 at the Senior High gym.

"It all goes back to passing and serving," said McCook head coach Krystal Weber. "We were successful and we made runs when we served aggressively at the other team. You have to serve aggressive and you have to take (the opponent) out of their offense, and to help out your defense.

"When we serve aggressively we're successful, and when we move our feet and execute our proper footwork on defense to get to a ball we can play with any other team that we face. The problems come when we refuse to move our feet and use the proper footwork and be quick to a ball. Instead we get caught standing or remake our first movement on defense as up, and then we have to take slow, large steps trying to get to a ball instead of being quick and powerful."

McCook kept the second set close. Miranda Holliday hit a shot for a point, then North Platte's hit went out of bounds to pull the Bison within 15-14. McCook then misfired on three straight serve returns to help the Bulldogs take a 19-14 lead.

Holliday hit another shot to pull the Bison to 21-16, but McCook would score just one more point as North Platte pulled away for the win.

In the final set, North Platte jumped to a 11-3 lead before a Bulldog serve hit the net and Riley Allen's hit found the floor to cut the deficit to 11-5. North Platte steadily increased the lead to close out the match.

Danica Liess led McCook with six kills. Sydney Clapp had seven defensive digs, and Brooklynn Trew recorded 12 set assists.

McCook Statistics

Ace Serves -- Brooklynn Trew 1, Sydney Clapp 1, Miranda Holliday 1.

Kills -- Danica Liess 6, Kira Johnson 3, Holliday 3, Riley Allen 2, Khyla Krepcik 1, Brettani Schmidt 1.

Blocks -- Liess 1, Trew 1, Johnson 1.

Defensive Digs -- Clapp 7, Trew 6, Allen 6, Brenleigh Daum 5, Schmidt 5, Krepcik 3, Holliday 2, Johnson 1.

Set Assists -- Trew 12, Krepcik 1, Johnson 1.

Junior varsity

In junior varsity action Monday, McCook dropped a 25-19, 25-12 decision to North Platte.

McCook assistant coach George Briggs felt his Bison reserves faced a winnable match against the Bulldogs.

"This was not one of North Platte's best junior varsity teams," Briggs said. "But, when you miss four consecutive serving points to begin the first game (six service errors) and, in the second game, we did a very poor job of passing very easy serves, you probably are not going to fair too well.

"Even with the errors, we were in a position to win-out the match as the score was 20-18 in the Bulldogs' favor. But we just could not find the pass, set, or the hit to pull up on North Platte."

The McCook junior varsity will end the season with Tuesday's home match against Chase County.

McCook Statistics Leaders

Serving -- Brenleigh Daum 2 aces

Hitting -- Sydney Clapp 5 kills, Brettani Schmidt 4 kills

Setting -- Brenleigh Daum 12 assists