The Red Devil volleyball team faced a tough challenge on Wednesday when Johnson County Community College, the No. 5 ranked team in the NJCAA’s latest poll, invaded Iola for a match.
Through three sets, it was hard to tell which team was considered one of the nation’s best and which team now owns a 3-.
The first set was a classic with the going lead back and fourth. The Cavaliers took a 23-21 lead and looked like they may finally be able to put the pesky Red Devils away, but Allen got the side-out and was able to get freshman McKenzie Kueker to the service line.
Two straight aces from Kueker gave Allen a 24-23 advantage. Johnson County answered back, however, and the game continued.
“McKenzie did really well,” Allen head coach Whitney Shaw said. “She will make a big impact. We have some stuff to work on with her, but she is coming along great and she is going to benefit us a lot when we can get her going full-speed.”
The teams exchanged points with the Red Devil crowd on the edge of their seats the entire time. Allen repelled Johnson County’s attempts to end the set several times, but eventually fell 33-31.
The second set went very similarly to the first with each team going on a run and then the other would answer, but the last run went to the Cavaliers and they took the set 25-22 and went up 2-0 despite the closeness of the games.
Allen made sure the third set wasn’t close. They exploded to a 6-0 lead and were able to hold that lead throughout and won 25-17.
Through three sets, Allen had out-scored the No. 5 team in the country 78-75, but unfortunately on the scoreboard that mattered it was 2-1.
“They are a good team,” Shaw said. “The only disappointment I have is that it was a missed opportunity. We have the ability to win, we just missed the opportunity at the end.”
The fourth set was all Johnson County as they cruised to a 25-13 win to take the set and match.
“We just kind of ran out of gas in the fourth,” Shaw said.
Allen was led in kills by sophomore Andi Dowell with 23 and freshman Sydney Gish added 13.
“(Gish) did well,” Shaw said. “I talked to her about being a leader when she is in the front row and I feel like she did step up tonight… It doesn’t matter who it is, we needed somebody to step up and take control. I told her yesterday that I thought she could step up more than she was so I felt like she tried to do that tonight.”
Allen’s next game is next Wednesday at Highland.
TOP-FIVE TEST: Red Devils take set off Cavaliers but fall 3-1
