Comets roll off 8-2 record during first week of volleyball season

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — With their first week of play consisting of a triangular, a quadrangular and a six-team tournament they hosted on Saturday, the Charles City Comets have already compiled 8 match victories against 2 losses with the volleyball season still short of breaching September.

Charles City picked up four wins on Saturday — all of them straight-set victories.

After defeating Riceville (21-8, 21-18) and Mason City (21-15, 21-13) before their first break, the Comets came from behind twice to beat Iowa Falls-Alden (21-16, 21-16) before dominating Hampton-Dumont (21-5, 21-2).

Vying to go 5-0 during their tournament, the Comets faced Class 4A No. 9-ranked Decorah for their final match of the morning/afternoon.

The Vikings won the first set (21-17) and were a point away from winning the second before the Comets went on a run to pull within 1 (20-19). Decorah avoided the extended set and possibly an extended match by completing the straight-set win (21-19).

The Vikings went on to go 5-0 during the tournament and are currently 7-0 for the young season.

After a busy first week of the season, the Comets will get a week-and-a-half break extending through the Labor Day weekend as their next match will be on the road when they take on Northeast Iowa Conference foe New Hampton on Sept. 6.

So far, the Comet statistical leaders are sophomore Anya Ruzicka, who leads the team in assists (106); sophomore Mya Rimrod, who leads the team in kills (47), sophomore Jadyn Van Horn, who leads the team in blocks (7), junior Emma Miller, who co-leads the team win Rimrod in digs (38); and freshman Keely Anderegg, who leads the team in service aces (14) with senior Ava Ellis and Rimrod also having reached double-digits in aces with 11 and 10, respectively.