BUFFALO – After showing signs of improvement last weekend, the Altoona-Midway High School volleyball team continued to trend in the right direction here Tuesday, winning one match and going three exciting sets before falling in the other during triangular action at Milo Peterson Gymnasium.
The Lady Jets snapped a six-match losing streak in the nightcap, taking the measure of the Chetopa High School 25-20, 25-17.
The host squad narrowly missed getting a sweep of Tuesday’s action. In the opener against Northeast of Arma, all three sets were tightly contested and could have gone either way. Altoona-Midway came out on top 26-24 in the first set, but the Lady Vikings bounced back to win 26-24, 25-17 to secure the victory.
“The girls played well in both matches tonight,” said AMHS head coach Michelle Stackhouse. “I am very proud of them. Even though we didn’t get any wins Saturday (at the Flinthills Tournament), there were signs we were improving and taking steps in the right direction.
“That trend continued tonight,” Stackhouse added. “That being said, there’s still plenty to work on. Our serving was not the best tonight, and the girls were second-guessing themselves during the third set against Northeast, and that put us behind at the end. But overall, this was a good day. I’m proud of the girls. They’re starting to make some positive strides.”
Sandra Morales and Emmalynn Pupanek were the cornerstones of the Lady Jet offense on Tuesday, as the freshman and senior frontline bookends each collected 15 kills during the day. The pair also picked up three aces apiece. Morales also rang up 11 good serves, 91 passes, 31 sets and a block, while Pupanek recorded 10 good serves, 96 passes, and a whopping 11 blocks.
Senior Autumn Raymond led the squad the three separate categories, topping the charts with five aces, 27 serves, and 64 sets. Raymond added six kills of her own. Meanwhile, junior Chantal Morales rang up 20 good serves and handed out 34 passes.
AMHS, now 3-10, remains at the friendly confines of Milo Peterson Gymnasium this Saturday. The Lady Jets will host a weekend tournament against Tyro Christian School and Liberty Homeschool Alliance First serve is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday.
