Reivers split on 1st day in Florida, drop match to #1 Miami-Dade

Courtsey of The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – No. 3-ranked Iowa Western got a rare chance to play a higher-ranked team Friday, falling to top-rated Miami Dade in three sets. The teams met in the first round of the Polk State Invitational. IWCC won its second match of the day, bouncing Florida State-Jacksonville 3-0. Iowa Western coach Alicia Williams said the match didn't look like a showdown between two of the nation's top three junior-college teams.

"I thought it was actually an ugly match on both sides," she said. "There were a lot of errors. It seemed like it was either a kill or an error, I swear. They won the serve-and-pass game, and I think that kind of deflated us a little bit."

Kelsey Havel and Kortlyn Henderson each put down 12 kills against Miami Dade.

In the second match, Iowa Western beat an unrated Jacksonville team that had beaten No. 7 Polk State in its first tournament match.

"I just think we had time to regroup and see what we needed to change," Williams said. "There is tough competition down here."

Three Reivers had double-figure kills: Henderson (12), Irina Alekseeva (11) and Havel (10).

Also, Genesis Sheridan contributed six blocks, three of them solo.

The Reivers conclude tournament play Saturday with two matches, facing Hillsborough at 12:15 p.m. and Polk State at 3:45.

Iowa Western 22 15 23

Miami Dade 25 25 25

IWCC (kills-aces-blocks): Bryn Stansberry 0-0-0, Savannah Downing 0-0-0, Irina Alekseeva 8-0-2, Ariana Macies 0-0-0, Kelsey Havel 12-0-1, Genesis Sheridan 5-0-1, Brooklynn McCain 0-0-0, Morgan Bossler 3-1-4, Kortlyn Henderson 12-0-1, Hina Pua'a 1-0-1.

Set assists: Macies 2, Havel 1, Pua'a 31. Digs: Stansberry 5, Downing 11, Alekseeva 3, Macies 8, Havel 3, McCain 4, Mossler 1, Henderson 1, Pua'a 3.

Iowa Western (6-1) 25 25 25

Florida State-Jacksonville 15 22 12

IWCC (kills-aces-blocks): Bryn Stansberry 0-0-0, Savannah Downing 0-0-0, Irina Alekseeva 11-0-1, Ariana Macies 0-1-0, Kelsey Havel 10-0-3, Genesis Sheridan 5-0-6, Brooklynn McCain 0-1-0, Alyssa Oswald 0-0-0, Morgan Bossler 4-0-2, Kortlyn Henderson 12-0-0, Hina Pua'a 1-2-0.

Set assists: Macies 6, Pua'a 34. Digs: Downing 7, Alekseeva 2, Macies 8, Havel 10, Sheridan 4, McCain 3, Bossler 3, Pua'a 3.