9/4/2014 By Zach Chriswell / zchriswell@columbustelegram.com
COLUMBUS -- The Raiders picked up their seventh win of the season with a three-set sweep.
The National Junior College Athletic Association Division II, No. 5 Central Community College volleyball team took down McCook Community College 25-14, 25-9, 25-12 Wednesday night at the Raider Fieldhouse.
"I felt that we got a little bit back on track from the other night," Central head coach Mary Young said. "We didn't play real sharp last Friday, so this was good to get back on track."
McCook went up 3-1 to open the first set, but it was all Central after that. The Raiders scored 12 of the next 14 points in the set and remained in control until they took the set 25-14.
"We passed well and I thought we hit well," Young said of the first set. "We didn't force things, we served well, we just basically took McCook out of system. I thought we played well within our means and we didn't force things."
Payton Chohon recorded five kills in the set and setter Cassidy Yong recorded 10 set assists.
In the second set, the Raiders jumped out to a quick start, scoring the first nine points of the set and 13 of the first 14 points.
Central won the second set 25-9.
"(Yong) started us off serving very well (in the second set)," Young said. "She served her spots very well and we just played good defense behind that. I felt like we were right in there the whole time -- making changes in our lineup and communicating well. Those are some things we struggled with all last week. It was really a step in the right direction for us."
Yong tallied eight more set assists and one ace in the second set, while Skyler Erickson recorded four kills in the set.
With a two-set advantage, the Raiders tried some new things in the final set.
"We really tried some things we've wanted to try and played some players at different positions and I felt that their communication was strong and we passed well," Young said. "Sure, we had some errors, but we played above those errors and really stayed positive throughout the match."
Central won the third set 25-12 despite recording nine unforced errors.
In the third set, Yong had four more set assists, two kills and an ace serve, while Makaleigh Yantzie tallied three kills.
In all, McCook recorded 32 unforced errors in the loss. Young was more concerned with the Raiders winning against themselves Wednesday.
"McCook struggled a little bit," she said. "Really what we talked about, was winning the game against ourselves. I would have said that against anyone we were playing because last Friday night, we did not win the war against ourselves. We beat ourselves up and we'd play worse. We'd get an error and we'd beat ourselves up. We'd miss a serve and we'd carry it for three more plays. We didn't let go of our mistakes and that was one thing we really needed to do -- win the war against ourselves. That was the best thing we did tonight."
Chohon led the Raiders in kills with nine, while Erickson added seven kills, and Yantzie, Hillary Thege and Morgan Nikkila each recorded four kills. Yong had 30 set assists and Nikkila, Chohon and Thege each recorded a block for the Raiders.
Central travels to the Kirkwood Invite Friday and Saturday, where it will play three of Division II's Top 5 teams, including No. 1 Parkland College.
Wednesday at the Raider Fieldhouse
McCook 14 9 12
Central (7-1) 25 25 25
* KILLS: McCook - Star Siedenburg, Molly Hannon 2, Ashley Carrera 4, Miranda Holliday, Alexa Wysocki, Destainie Micklich; Central - Cassidy Yong 3, Keely Woods 2, Skyler Erickson 7, Morgan Nikkila 4, Payton Chohon 9, Hillary Thege 4, Makaleigh Yantzie 4, Megan Anderson 3.
* BLOCKS: McCook - Hannon; Central - Nikkila, Chohon, Thege.
* ACE SERVES: McCook - Flavia Virgili 2; Central - Yong 2, Brooke Robertson.
* ASSISTS: McCook - Dakota Terry 9; Central - Yong 30, Woods, Yantzie.