LINDEN — It was a good night for North Montgomery volleyball as they defeated Fountain Central 3-0.
After a close first set, the Chargers used two big scoring streaks to take the 25-22, 25-13, 25-12 win. The victory runs their record to 5-8, while the Mustangs fall to 4-6.
“We played disciplined volleyball for most of the night, “ North coach Taylor Pierce said, “and when we lost it a couple times, we fought right back. It was a good win, a confidence builder with the rugged schedule we have ahead.”
The first set saw the Chargers jump out to an early lead, only to have the Mustangs chip back to within one point at 18-19. The home team held on to close out the set.
The second set had FC jump out to the early lead, but then it was all North, as they scored 14 straight points on a Blair Nichols service, featuring three aces. An 8-3 Chargers finish was the end of the set.
The Mustangs led only 1-0 in the third, as the home team again used a big rally to finish. It was 12-2 to close out the set and the night.
“The big rallies got in our heads a little bit,” FC coach Lindsey Pierle said of her lineup that features nearly all sophomores and freshmen. “We had some good effort plays and some good short tips. We played hard and competed well. Sometimes it just isn’t your night.”
It was a good night for North, as they registered 11 aces to sit at 97 for the season. Nichols and Kaydence Young each had five
They had 36 kills, led by Hope Delp with 15. Young added 10, to extend her team-best season total to 78.
“Hope hit the ball so hard and so well,” Pierce said of the junior. “She played with so much confidence tonight. Kaydence had all her kills, but she played so well in the back row. Our serve receiving is getting better and better, and that first pass sets up the setter, and we get more kills. Lowering those ball-handling errors just makes us so much better.”
Piper Ramey was her usual self, as the senior registered 25 assists, six kills and a handful of digs. She had the assist on nearly every Young and Delp kill. Ayden Braun led North with 13 digs. North finished with a total of 50 digs.
“They are both such great players,” Pierce said of Ramey and Young. “They communicate at another level. It goes back to what I said earlier – we got a first good pass to Piper and she gets a good set to a hitter and we get a kill. Props go out to all our passers tonight.”
Aubrey Ashwill led FC with four kills. Savannah Bowers and Patience Bixler each had three. Josie Harshbarger had a pair of aces, as did Kalina Wesley. Harshbarger had eight assists and Chloe Ayers had seven.
“Ashwill is playing better and better,” Pierle said of the sophomore, who leads the Mustangs in kills with 56. “Hoagland is just such a really good utility player for us also.”
The Mustangs are home to Southmont tonight and travel to Crawfordsville on Sept. 26.
The Chargers meat-grinder schedule started with a match against Greencastle last night and has four road matches next week, including a Sagamore matchup with Tri-West and a Sept. 19 trip to Crawfordsville.
