The Warrior volleyball team came out fast and rallied late in the first set to win, and then carried that momentum into sets two and three to sweep Faith Baptist Bible College 3-0 on Saturday in Ankeny, IA. With the win, the Warriors improve to 11-7 on the season.
“Faith came ready to play and they were hungry to win on Homecoming weekend,” Warrior Head Coach Josh Johnson said. “Our serve really got us the lead and shifted momentum back our way when we needed it. Defensively we were able to play well, and we just kept playing until we found ways to score.” Earlier this season, the Warriors and Eagles battled in Kansas City with the Eagles earning a 3-1 road win.
In set one, Calvary came out fast with great all-around play. Towards the end of set one the Eagles went on a 1-8 run to tie the score at 23-23. Coach Johnson called a timeout to try to stop the momentum and the Warriors regrouped to win 25-23.
The important hold in set one swung momentum in the Warriors favor and it showed as the team stormed out to a lead in set two. Leah Grady was dominant on the front line as she totaled 13 kills with only three hitting errors. Her 53% attack percentage helped push the lead. Faith tried to answer back but the Warriors wouldn’t be denied as a kill by Kolbie Krempges helped the team take a 2-0 lead with a 25-14 win in set two.
With a sweep on their minds, the Warriors again came out strong in the third set thanks to great serving. After a pair of kills by Allie Edwards and Elle Davis the Warriors led by three and looked to build a big lead once again. The Eagles had other plans as they battled back to take their first lead of the day.
Davis then provided a big spark for the Warriors followed by a four-point run for Calvary as the team took the lead for good. The Eagles stayed tough and tried to mount one last rally, but the Warriors wouldn’t be denied as they won the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
“We have seen this season that we can play very well at times, but we can also be inconsistent,” Coach Johnson said. “If we can play our style we’ll be very competitive going forward.”
The Warrior defense held the Eagles to a team attack percentage of 0% throughout the day. It was a huge key for the sweep. The Warrior serving attack totaled thirteen aces to the Eagles two.
Miriam McCubbin and Kolbie Krempges led the defensive effort with thirteen digs a piece. Amber Northrop finished with 26 assists on the day. Grady finished with thirteen kills while Elle Davis and Kolbie Krempges combined for eleven kills in the win.
Next up, the Warriors will be home again on Tuesday night as the team welcomes Manhattan Christian.
