October 04, 2014 8:58 pm • By The Telegram Staff
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- For a match, the Raiders lost focus, lost trust and lost the match.
But the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II, No. 4 Central Community College volleyball team bounced back for a 3-1 weekend at the Iowa Western Community College Invitational Friday and Saturday.
Central lost to NJCAA No. 13 Des Moines Area Community College 15-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12, before beating Iowa Lakes Community College 25-14, 26-24, 25-21 Friday in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The Raiders swept Saturday, beating No. 18 Iowa Central Community College 25-13, 25-13, 25-13 and No. 3 Kansas City, Kansas Community College 27-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-23.
"I thought (Saturday) we played with a lot more focus," Central head coach Mary Young said. "We played better together. I think (Friday) we weren't playing with trust in each other."
In Central's first match of the weekend, Central built an easy two-set lead over Des Moines Area Community College.
"We had control of the whole match," Young said. "We had opportunities to take the sweep and even in the fourth set to win," Young said.
But Des Moines rattled off three sets in a row to drop the Raiders.
"I felt we let that match slip away," Young said. "There's no other way to put it. We just had a lot of missed opportunities and didn't play with a lot of composure. It's bothersome because I felt like we lost focus and lost site of what we're really playing for."
After knocking off Iowa Lakes Friday 25-14, 26-24, 25-21, the Raiders reassessed heading into the final day of the tournament.
Central came out fresh and played much cleaner, according to Young.
"I saw that more today and we got refocused," she said. "Refocused on our goals and refocused on each point. We were willing to do the little things that adds up to the bigger pieces of the puzzle."
The Raiders swept No. 18 Iowa Central before edging No. 4 Kansas City in four sets for a much-needed boost.
Payton Chohon led the Raiders in the final match with 20 kills.
"Doing that against a team like Kansas City is no easy task," Young said.
Beyond Chohon, Young was impressed with her freshman as a whole, noting the play of Morgan Nikkila, who tallied 36 kills in the tournament.
"Our freshman played well and that's promising," Young said. "Payton played with a lot of poise and Morgan was tough at the net as well."
Central travels to Northeast Community College Wednesday.
Friday at Council Bluffs, Iowa
Match 1
Central (20-5) 25 25 23 12
Des Moines CC 15 18 25 25 15
Match 2
Central 25 26 25
Iowa Lakes 14 24 21
Saturday at Council Bluffs, Iowa
Match 1
Central 25 25 25
Iowa Central 13 13 13
Match 2
Central 27 25 22 25
KC CC 25 20 25 23
Central tournament statistics
* KILLS: Central - Payton Chohon 54, Skyler Erickson 41, Megan Anderson 41, Makaleigh Yantzie 30, Morgan Nikkila 36
* BLOCKS: Central - Chohon 11, Anderson 10, Yantzie 6, Cassidy Yong 7, Erickson 4, Nikkila 3
* ACE SERVES: Central - Chohon 8, Shayla Trotter 5, Erickson 2, Brooke Robertson 1, Molly Gotschall 1, Yong 1
* ASSISTS: Central - Yong 180
* DIGS: Central - Gotschall 48, Erickson 48, Yong 25, Trotter 17, Robertson 18