Lady Sandite Volleyball is Roughed up on Senior Night

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Lady Sandite volleyball team hosted 15th ranked Muskogee for Senior Night Thursday and were soundly defeated 3-0.

Sophomore basketball stand-out Glori Mutiri continues to prove herself an all-around outstanding athlete as she led her team in scoring with 9 total kills, 1 ace, and 3 blocks.

It was Claire Farmer of the Muskogee Lady Roughers, however, who led the match with 17 kills, 2 aces, and 1 block.

The scoring in the first game was pretty evenly distributed amongst all players for both teams.

Farmer got the first kill of the night, but Sand Springs was right behind with kills from Makenzie Ward and Holly Kersgieter. The Roughers soon put distance on the home team, however, as Madison Were got a kill, Carsen Lamont aced, and the Sandites committed a series of faults to give the visitors a 7-3 lead.

Kelsey Hackerott tried to reverse the tide with a kill of her own, but Muskogee got the side out right away as Wren Seabolt set up Cierra Lewis for the first of many powerful kills. Lewis quickly established herself as one of the most dominant players on the court, with the most assists and second-most kills on her team.

Ultimately, the Roughers pulled ahead to a 25-11 win with Lewis leading scoring for the game with three kills and one assist.

The Roughers came out for game two on fire. Allie Jiles aced to start the scoring, Dayli Satterfield set up Farmer twice for back-to-back kills, then Jiles got yet another ace. Farmer brought the Roughers to a 6-0 lead before Sand Springs finally got on the board as Jiles hit the net on her serve.

Game two was a showdown between Mutiri and Farmer. Mutiri led the Sandites with seven kills, including one ace and three blocks. It wasn’t enough to give her team the edge though, as Farmer was right there with her with seven kills and an ace of her own.

Lee Leslie got the lone dig of the night as Sand Springs sided out, trailing 11-6. Mutiri served up her ace on the next rally, and the Sandites began to close the gap thanks to Mutiri’s blocks and kills from Leslie and Hackerott.

Muskogee felt the pressure as their lead was cut to 16-13 and used a timeout to rally the team. Farmer came out hot and scored a kill right into Makenzie Ward’s face. Satterfield and Lamont got aces and Lewis set up Were for the game point, 25-16.

In the final game of the night, the Lady Sandites looked like they might come from behind to win a set as they led for thirteen straight rallies before Muskogee finally caught up. Hackerott aced to give Sand Springs the lead and Ward set up Leslie for a kill. Mutiri tried to spike for a kill but found Farmer waiting like a brick wall with a block for the side out.

Sand Springs got it right back, however as Lamont’s serve hit the net. Leslie blocked for a point and Hillsbury got her second kill of the night. Ward tied Lewis for most assist of the night, and set up Kersgieter for a kill to give Sand Springs the 8-5 lead.

Muskogee won the next six rallies, however, and finally Sand Springs used a time out as they trailed 13-9.

They found a little motivation and pulled in close to 14-13 before Muskogee finally pulled away and dealt the Sandites their final loss of the regular season, 25-16.

Muskogee improves to 21-11 on the season and will travel to Jenks Thursday to take on Ponca City at 6:00.

Sand Springs falls to 12-23 to end the regular season and will travel to Owasso Thursday at 4:30 to play the Rams. The winner of that game will play the winner of Edmond Memorial vs. Bartlesville at 7:30.

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