COLUMBUS -- After winning a big game, it's common for teams to struggle the next time out because of overconfidence or aggressiveness.
That was not the case for the Central Community College volleyball team.
Though the fifth-ranked Raiders went 4-0 last weekend, they had to break through a little timidness to beat the Midland JV 25-22, 25-22, 25-17 Wednesday at the Raider Fieldhouse.
"Last week, I saw much more of a relaxed and kind of taking care of everything on the court," Central head coach Mary Young said. "And tonight, it was so tense and overplaying some things."
Central traded punches with the Tigers through the entire first set, before the Raiders finally took the set 25-22.
More than half of the Midland JV's points (12), however, came off Central unforced errors.
"I felt like we really had so many unforced errors in that first set and I think it caused us to tense up," Young said. "We were playing so tense and so not-to-lose instead of to win and that was such a change from what I saw last week."
That timid-type of play carried over for most of the second set, as Midland took over for a 12-7 lead, before Young called a timeout.
"Really, I told them to relax," Young said. "You could just see the tension in their faces, you could see the tension in their shoulders and it wasn't working for us."
Following the timeout, Central rallied behind Cassidy Yong's serves to tie the game at 12 apiece.
That was the Central team Young was used to, she said.
"When we came back, that is the type of play I saw all last weekend over a long period of time of just confidence and with a lot of grit," she said.
Midland hung around for several more points until the Raiders rallied out seven straight points behind Brooke Robertson's serves.
"(Robertson) does a great job when she can get her hand fully on the ball," Young explained. "She really did get in a groove. That just was breathing confidence into all of them. Brooke has been there before, so she brings a lot of great qualities to the court and we expect that from her."
Finally, Central was tuned in, and most importantly, relaxed, according to Young.
After the Raiders held on to beat Midland 25-22 in the second set, they handled the Tigers 25-17 in the third set.
"I felt like we did take care of business," Young said. "I felt like we played a little more confident. We made some changes and maybe that's what we needed to do so we were more focused on helping each other and playing together than just being tense."
Megan Anderson led the Raider attack with 11 kills and two blocks.
"(Anderson) really had some nice plays for us and we count on that from her to find that mismatch in the middle."
Morgan Nikkila and Skyler Erickson each recorded eight blocks, while Payton Chohon and Makaleigh Yantzie each added five kills.
Yong tallied 39 assists in the win for Central.
The Raiders host McCook Community College Sept. 3.
Wednesday at the Raider Fieldhouse
Midland JV 22 22 17
Central (5-0) 25 25 25
* KILLS: Midland JV - Erin Sorahan 6, Katie Thomas 4, Payton Hedlund 3, Anna Kitzelman 3, Jessica Harms 3, Gabby Knobbe 2, Brooke Peterson 2, Jessica Nekl 1, Jordan Lempka 1; Central - Megan Anderson 11, Skyler Erickson 8, Morgan Nikkila 8, Payton Chohon 5, Makaleigh Yantzie 5, Keely Woods 4, Cassidy Yong 3, Hillary Thege 1.
* BLOCKS: Midland JV - Kitzelman 2, Thomas 2, Peterson 2, Nekl 1; Central - Anderson 2, Chohon 1, Erickson 1, Yong 1.
* ACE SERVES: Midland JV - Hedlund 1, Darcy Barry 1; Central - Yong 1 .
* ASSISTS: Midland JV - Amanda Pieper 25; Central - Yong 39, Brooke Robertson 1, Molly Gotschall 1.
* DIGS: Central - Erickson 12, Gotschall 9, Yong 7, Robertson 6, Nikkila 3, Shayla Trotter 2, Chohon 1.