Season coming to a close for Vandalia JH volleyball

By Editor | February 15, 2012 |

Both of Vandalia's junior high volleyball teams have records better than .500 as the season gets to its final weeks.

The Jr. Lady Vandals played their final home game on Tuesday against Pana, with the seventh-graders erasing a third-set deficit to win, 25-12, 22-25, 25-17, and the eighth-graders losing, 14-25, 18-25.

On the season, the seventh-graders are 9-5 (4-1 Jr. Mid-Sate Conference), and the eighth-graders are 11-6 (3-2 JMSC).

Vandalia has four more matches this season before the regional tournaments, starting on Thursday at Litchfield.

Against Pana, Emma Meyer led the seventh-graders, recording eight kills, five aces and a block.

Other top performers were: Madison Klanke, four aces and the final eight points of the third set; Carson Howard, four kills and two aces; and Molly Kern, two kills and one ace.

The win puts Vandalia in a tie with Pana for the lead in the conference.

For the eighth-graders, the leading players were Makayla Tinker, with six points, one ace and one kills, and Mindy Ritchey, with four points, two aces and one kill.

Last Thursday, the eighth-graders beat Hillsboro, 25-11, 26-24, with Tinker scoring 15 points and five aces, and Lexi Buechel scoring three kills. Karlie Bright added six points, one ace and one kill.

The seventh-graders beat Hillsboro, 25-16, 25-18. Courtney Sarchet led the way, with eight aces, and Kern had six aces and two kills. Emma Meyer added three kills.

Hillsboro won the bonus set, 25-13.

Vandalia seventh-grader Madison Klanke hits the ball across the net during a win against Pana on Tuesday. She later would serve the final eight points of the match to secure Vandalia’s win.