Both Ponies squads take third at league

BURLINGTON — The seventh- and eighth-grade Iola volleyball teams each ended their seasons with a high note  and a medal on Saturday in Burlington.
The teams finished third in the Pioneer League tournament.
Both teams won their opening games of the tournament with the seventh graders winning in straight sets over Prairie View, 25-21 and 25-21. Jenna Curry served as the team’s catalyst with her strong serving game.
The eighth graders had a tougher match as they came in as slight underdogs to Wellsville, but emerged with a hard-fought win. After losing the first set, 25-14, they rallied for wins in the second and third, 25-22 and 15-13.
Jenna Miller led the effort with five aces and four kills.
Both squads faced adversity in their second games. The seventh-grade team fell to Burlington, 25-15, 25-19, while the eighth grade had a role-reversal from its opener.
The Ponies jumped on Osawatomie with a 25-15 first set victory, but the top-seeded Trojans roared back with 28-26 and 15-13 victories to break the Ponies’ hearts.
That set up third-place matches for both Iola teams.
“This was the last chance at a medal,” Iola eighth-grade coach Terri Carlin said. “Win to get third and a medal. Lose and we get fourth and nothing. We told the girls that they worked too hard to not come home with a medal.”
The eighth-grade had to face Burlington on its home court, while the seventh grade squared off with Osawatomie.
The seventh grade again was led by the serving of Curry and they were able to beat the Trojans in straight sets to earn third place. They won 25-19 and 25-23.
The eighth grade also started strong with a 25-16 win over Burlington in the first set, but the host-school answered back with a 25-9 second set win to force a winner-take-all third set.
The Ponies responded with a 15-11 set victory behind strong play from their leaders Becca Sprague and Miller.
Sprague had six assists and a pair of aces. Miller led the team in both kills and aces with six kills and five aces.
Sidney Shelby added six assists.
Britain Folk had four kills, while Lauryn Holloway and Alliyah Blazek each had three.