Saint Spikers Fall to #6 Colby

Jay Daubenberger

Liberal, Kansas – For the second straight game the Seward County Lady Saints volleyball team went toe-to-toe with a top ten nationally ranked opponent with Saturday’s opponent being the #6 Colby Trojans who the Lady Saints were able to intimidate with a first set win but could not continue their onslaught as the Trojans charged back to take a 3-1 win inside of the Green House.

Seward County did not shy away from Colby because of their ranking as the Lady Saints opened the contest matching the Trojans point for point through the first twenty as Lajla Rasljanin rose up in the middle for a rocket down the middle to keep SCCC within one behind a 12-11 Colby lead. The Trojans showed their firepower with a 7-3 run to take a 19-14 lead and force a Seward County timeout before the Lady Saints answered back with a run of their own led by a pair of kills from Keala Wilson and Rasljanin. A roof raising block from Marcelina Pyka and Camden Bizot locked the score up at 21-21 before back-to-back kills from Mariana Silva helps to clinch the first set 25-23 for Seward County to take a 1-0 set lead.

Set two started the same as the first with both sides exchanging blows with Pyka springing up for a spike down the line followed by a perfectly placed kill from Wilson locked the score up at 10-10. A 6-0 run from the Trojans put the Lady Saints in a tough spot and despite trying to repeat their success from set one, Seward County could not climb back despite another hammer from Silva with set two ending in favor of Colby 25-16.

In the third it was once again the Trojans who took control by separating themselves from the Lady Saints on the scoreboard. Zeynep Olcay Balciconnected on a kill from the right side and a few points later combined with Pyka at the net for a monster block to trim the gap back down to one with Colby remaining ahead 12-11. Silva continued to pour on the attacks for SCCC with another pair of kills to stay close to the Trojans who eventually went on an unstoppable rampage to take set three over the Lady Saints 25-15 and put Seward County behind 2 sets to 1.

With their backs against the wall the Lady Saints found some momentum to stay close to Colby as Balci and Pyka once again rose up for an emphatic block to tie the score up at 8-8. The Trojans put a few points together to take a three-point lead but was slashed away by another monster block from Pyka on the right side while Lisa Gomez connected on a spot on ace to make it a one-point game. Silva knocked in a few more kills for SCCC to add to her total while and ace from Rasljanin made it a 19-17 game with Colby remaining in front which is where they remained as they took set four and the match 25-21 for a 3-1 win.

Seward County now falls to 5-9 on the 2024 season with a conference record of 2-3. The Lady Saints will now head out on the road for their next two games beginning with a drive to the Beaver Dome to take on Pratt this upcoming Monday at 6:30 PM.