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Comets fall in Go-Hawks in straight sets

Comets fall in Go-Hawks in straight sets
Press photo by John Burbridge
Waverly-Shell Rock’s Haley Eckerman (No. 12) attempts to hit through Charles City’s Sadie Gebel, left, and Rachel Chambers during Thursday’s NEIC volleyball match, which the Go-Hawks won.

By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com

WAVERLY — Even while losing in straight sets to heavily favored Waverly-Shell Rock on Thursday, the Charles City Comet volleyball team at times didn’t seem willing to go away while surging back from numerous deficits.

But the Comets just couldn’t get over the top, which would have been a tall order against the Go-Hawks, who won by scores of 25-20, 25-20, 25-15.

Boasting a substantial size advantage, W-SR improved to 26-4 and 4-0 in the Northeast Iowa Conference where it shares the lead with New Hampton, whose team was present at the match scouting what will likely be their toughest NEIC challenger.

The Comets fell to 7-18 and 2-2.

Though Charles City gave up some size at the net, it did make up for some of that with hard well-placed serving as the Go-Hawks were addled with it numerous times during the match while allowing the Comets to make their runs.

Sarah Mitchell was 13 of 13 serving for the Comets and had 16 assists to lead the team.

Rachel Chambers had 10 kills, and Lexi Vance and Toni Maloy each had 11 digs for the Comet, who will host a volleyball tournament on Saturday.

Charles City took a 4-2 lead in the first set on Sadie Gebel’s kill, and later led 9-6 thanks in part to a series of service points by Jennifer Martin.

The Go-Hawks took a 13-9 lead on Jazlyn Westmoreland’s ace, and later went up 24-20 with a kill by Avery Beckett before an unforced error by Charles City ended the set.

Consecutive kills by Westmoreland helped put W-SR up 10-3 in the second set before the Comets rallied back to pull within 1 (16-15) on Chambers’s cross-court kill.

Westmoreland later ended the set with one of her team-leading kills.
W-SR jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the third set. Charles City pulled within 3 (11-8) when Alex Litterer’s kill attempt was blocked out of bounds, but the Comets couldn’t get any closer from there.

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