MFL MarMac volleyball shows grit, growth
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
The MFL MarMac volleyball team showed grit and growth at the Sept. 6 Starmont Tourney, finishing fourth overall after battling through a strong field of teams.
Coach Becky Johnson said the highlight of the day came in pool play against Hudson, a team that opened the year in the state rankings. The Bulldogs went point-for-point with Hudson before falling in two tightly contested sets, 21–17 and 21–19.
“That match really showed what our team is capable of. We were right there with a very well run program, and it came down to just a couple of points each set,” Johnson said.
Lily Johnson netted seven kills for the Bulldogs, followed by Macy McGeough with four. Maddie Keehner and Blair Winter each had two kills, while Addison Corlett collected 15 assists.
Corlett and Winter each had a block, and Lauryn Johnson anchored the back row with 10 digs. Payton McElwaine added six digs and Lily Johnson five.
The Bulldogs served a nearly perfect 97.4 percent, led by an 11/11 performance from Corlett, who had one of the team’s three aces. Keehner hit all seven of her serve attempts, while Lauryn Johnson was 6/6.
Johnson said the near-upset reflected the progress the Bulldogs have made since their season-opening tournament.
“Lineup adjustments have provided more balance, while an emphasis on serving, serve-receive and expanding the team’s attacking options is beginning to pay off,” the coach shared. “We knew after the first weekend where we needed to grow. Our passing and serving put us in position to compete, and we’re starting to use all of our hitters to keep defenses guessing.”
MFL MarMac carried the momentum into the rest of pool play, where they defeated North Linn 2-1. Rebounding from a 21-16 opening set loss, the Bulldogs handily won the next two sets, 21-9 and 21-10.
Corlett guided the offense with 13 assists, and Keehner and Lily Johnson each blasted five kills. McElwaine earned four.
Defensively, Lauryn Johnson picked up eight digs, followed by McElwaine with seven and Corlett five. Corlett also recorded a block.
Lily Johnson bolstered the Bulldogs from the service line, making 14 of 15 with three aces. Corlett was 7/8 and Kensey Ball 6/7 with an ace.
The Bulldogs continued to win in game three, trouncing Valley Lutheran 21-11 and 21-1. The team combined for an impressive 17 aces on 87.5 percent serving. Corlett had eight of those aces on a 15/17 success rate, and Brooke Hackett racked up six aces on a perfect 10/10 performance.
Keehner led the MFL MarMac offense with seven kills, while Lily Johnson and Hadyn Meyer each netted three. Corlett had a team-high 10 assists.
With the serving and offensive success, it was a light match for the defense, which had only five digs: two for Lauryn Johnson and one each by Keehner, Lily Johnson and Alexa McElwaine.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the day with a 2-0 loss to North Fayette Valley by scores of 25-12 and 25-18.
Keehner secured four of the team’s 13 kills, followed by Lily Johnson with three and Meyer two. Corlett grabbed another 10 assists and was also the digs leader with 10. Lily and Lauryn Johnson each had seven digs.
From the service line, MFL MarMac was at 90 percent efficiency. Keehner connected on 7/8 for a pair of aces and Corlett was 5/6.
In all, the offense was paced by Lily Johnson and Keehner, who recorded 18 kills each on the day. Corlett dished out 48 assists.
“One area we have to grow is our block presence. However, we have a very scrappy back row that keeps us alive,” Johnson said.
Lauryn Johnson recorded 27 digs, Corlett 18, Lily Johnson 16 and Payton McElwaine 14.
The Bulldogs are now 3-6 overall and have a busy week ahead of them, starting with a triangular at Maquoketa Valley on Sept. 9. They’ll welcome New Hampton for the Upper Iowa Conference and home opener on Sept. 11, before heading to a tournament at Seneca on Sept. 13.
“We’re improving every week,” said Johnson. “If we keep playing at that level, the wins will come.”
