Comets stay perfect in conference with volleyball win over Oelwein

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

OELWEIN — The Charles City Comets improved their overall record to 16-3 and maintained a perfect mark in the Northeast Iowa Conference (4-0) when defeating the Oelwein Huskies in straight sets, Thursday night.

The Comets, who are ranked sixth in Class 4A according to the last Iowa High School Volleyball Rankings, came into the match as overwhelming favorites. But the Huskies (8-14, 2-3) were holding their Senior Night on Thursday and came out fired up, and they had a raucous crowd to help keep the flame burning.

In the first set, an ace by Charles City senior Kesli Crooks gave the Comets a 7-3 lead. But several aces by Oelwein senior Maddison Jackson helped put the Huskies up 15-14.

Hitting kills by Jodie Sindlinger and Tayler Schmidt, and a left-handed touch kill by Sydney Loeckle put the Comets up 24-18 before a diving save by Sadie Ruzicka helped Charles City put away the final point in a 25-18 set win.

In the second set, a cross-court kill by Katie Foster helped give the Comets a 24-12 lead. Six-straight points by the Huskies made their student section even more raucous before the Comets again prevailed by a 25-18 score.

Charles City went up 7-2 in the third set and appeared to be about to extend the lead even more when a Husky dig bounded up in the air and nearly made a bank shot on one of the folded-up auxiliary backboards looming over Oelwein’s side of the court.

The Huskies were able to get the ball in play and scored the point. The play seem to inspire them as they eventually pulled within two (9-7).

But a pair of clear-view spiking kills by Crooks capped a five-point run. Then after setting Schmidt and Sara Martin up for hitting kills, Loeckle produced a finely placed “set” kill for the set (25-12) and match point.

The Comets will host a tournament on Saturday.