After experiencing the heavenly highs of defeating a nationally-ranked top 10 team last week, Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Highland Community College brought the Allen Red Devils back to earth.
After opening the evening with a 26-24 victory in the first set, Allen fell in the next three as the Scotties took the match, 25-18, 25-20 and 27-25.
“It was a tough loss. Highland has not gotten a lot of flowers,” Allen coach Maria Aikins said. “But they are a very good program. They’ve always been great. At the end of the night, they just played a better game than us.”
Despite taking the loss, a pair of Red Devils reached double-digits in scoring. Freshmen outside hitters Baylee Belt and Lauren Brummet each knocked down 10 kills. The pair edged fellow freshmen outside hitters Maria Santana and Alissa Hadzic for the team lead, as Santana and Hadzic each tallied nine in the losing effort. Freshman defensive specialist Alyssa Haefele and Santana tied for the team lead in aces with two each, followed by sophomore defensive specialist Camila Afonso and freshman setter Jaidyn Follis, who had one each.
Defensively, sophomore libero Audrey Peek had a team-leading 42 digs, followed by Belt with 22 and Santana with 15. Hadzic and sophomore middle hitter Chloe Curl had two blocks each.
“They forced us to make a lot of errors, and it was a tough one,” Coach Aikins said. “This really stings, but I’m glad we saw it now because it prepares us for the rest of the run.”
With the loss, the Red Devils fall to 3-2 in the Jayhawk Conference as part of a three-way tie for second place. Cowley Community College, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, is tied with Kansas City Kansas Community College, ranked No. 2, for first place.
The Red Devils return to the hardwood Friday while hosting Seminole State College at 3 p.m. Sandwiched between a pair of tournaments, Allen is scheduled to face Fort Scott next Wednesday and then Neosho County Community College, ranked 17th in the nation, Oct. 15. They end the season on the road against Cowley.
“Moving on from here, it’s just going to get tougher and tougher every time,” Aikins said. “We take it day by day. We need to tune-up in some areas. We have to stay locked in, learn from tonight and move on. Our league is the toughest in the nation. Everyone is neck and neck. We’re getting tested every night.”
