Balanced approach nets Central volleyball win
Central Dutch Athletics
PELLA—On a night when all four sets were decided by four points or less, the Central College volleyball team come out on top three times for a victory against Buena Vista University Tuesday.
The Dutch (6-7, 1-1 conference) got their first American Rivers Conference victory over the Beavers (8-4, 1-1 conference) 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21.
“I think tonight we did a really good job of executing individual roles well,” coach Jeanne Czipri said. “Nobody tried to go above and beyond and nobody really struggled either. We played within our roles and did a really good job of it.”
Four Central players had double-digit kills, including the 6 foot, 3 inch middle hitter Tori Van Velzen (junior, Cumming, Norwalk HS) getting 10 for the first time this year.
“We’ve been trying to figure out how to set Tori,” Czipri said. “Her getting the ball 26 times is a testament to how hard her and our setters have worked.
Landry Luhring (freshman outside hitter, Grundy Center HS) paced the team with 14 kills and right-side hitters Melissa Miller (senior, Williamsburg) and Erin Dilger (junior, Tinley Park, Ill., Lincoln-Way North HS) each had 10.
“Mel played a really clean and aggressive match,” Czipri said. “To have four players in double-digits is huge.”
Luhring also had 26 kills for her fourth double-double in the last five matches. Setter Alyssa Lewton (freshman, Ankeny, Centennial HS) had 17 digs to go with 23 assists for her first career double-double.
Senior setter Chapel Carter (Colorado Springs, Colo., Coronado HS) also had 25 assists.
“The synergy is there,” Czipri said. “Having our two setters with a few of assists of each other is really good.”
An 8 p.m. contest on Friday against the host school will start a three-match weekend at the North Park University Invitational in Chicago. Central will also play Saint Mary’s University (Ind.) and Greenville University (Ill.) on Saturday.
