The Dodge City Community College Conquistador volleyball team started the stretch run of the 2008 season with a conference win over rival Garden City CC Tuesday night. The four-set win over the young and injury-depleted Broncbusters gives the Conqs a 20-15 record overall and pulls them even at 4-4 in Jayhawk Conference play.
The statistics for his team may not have been a season-best, but Conq volleyball coach Shaun Pohlman said after the game he was proud of the way his team has played defense in recent matches. The team got to 58 digs in Tuesday's four sets.
"Our defense is really coming along," Pohlman said. Defensive specialist Megan Pierson tallied 22 digs on the night and Robin Somogyi added 12 more.
In the first two sets, Dodge City had to make early comebacks after having issues with getting the ball over the net on the serve. The Conqs overcame eight service errors in the first set and won 25-22.
After winning the second set 25-21, Dodge never looked in sync during the third, and dropped the set 19-25.
"We're still struggling with our 6-2 formation," Pohlman said. "We have to keep using it, though, in case we need it for big matches down the road."
The Conqs have been forced out of their normal set at times due to a nagging back injury to setter Danika Lucyshyn. Without her in the lineup, the Conqs employ two setters, and Pohlman said that without the reps in practice, the timing of sets for his hitters can suffer without Lucyshyn on the front line.
But the Conqs struck early in the fourth set and quickly built a 12-5 lead. They coasted to a 25-20 victory in the final set.
"We're getting to a point where everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, and they're performing those roles to the best of their abilities," Pohlman said. "They're out there playing good team volleyball."
Janelle Burnett had 13 kills on the match, and Jamisha Johnson added 12 of her own. Lucyshyn totalled 28 assists and played most of the match after sitting out the last four.
Garden City coach Nik Petrovik said that his team lacks leadership this year and that his three sophomores "play like freshmen" because they have never played club volleyball. Garden falls to 7-22 on the season with a 1-8 Jayhawk mark.
The Conqs host the 10-22 (2-6 Jayhawk) Barton County CC Cougars Thursday in another Jayhawk matchup. The Conqs beat the Cougars in five sets when the two teams met earlier this season.
"Some teams may have just slipped by them, and we may have been one of those teams," Pohlman said. "We can't afford to overlook them. We need that match."
The match against Barton is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
DODGE CITY —
