News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2008

COMETS DEFEAT NEO IN CLOSE BATTLE

The Cottey College Comets volleyball team finished their last in a long series of away games by defeating Northeast Oklahoma A&M Community College of Miami, Oklahoma, in five games: 25-17, 21-25, 22-25, 25-20, and 15-9.

"What a match last night. It was touch and go for all of the games," said head coach Marla Kannady Foreman.

Game one was an error-filled game for both teams. Foreman was surprised that the Comets could make so many errors and still win, in fact. However, NEO made as many errors or more as Cottey, and the Comets were able to win one they might not have under other circumstances.

The Comets made fewer errors in the second game, but not few enough as NEO was able to capitalize on every little mistake.

"This one we made less errors than in set one," said Foreman, "but NEO made a clean sweep of endless lucky spots throughout to steal it from us."

Game three was a back-and-forth pitched battle, but once again it came down to who made the fewest errors. Although the Comets were looking better in each game, the home team was still taking advantage of Comets' miscues. Coach Foreman was confident in her team's game plan though.

"We knew that our 5-1 system would work against the NEO team, but we had to have faith that it would," Foreman said. "Once we convinced ourselves of that, it was pretty much a momentum rush for Cottey."

The system did work in games four and five. Particularly in game five where the Comets were up 10-1 at one point.

Team leaders for Cottey were Carmen Kintz with two aces, Ashleigh Bryson with 30 assists, Lauren Jenkins with 16 kills, Kaley Rogers with 10 blocks, and Jesse Jargowsky with 31 digs.

The win raises the Comets' record on the season to 10-3. Next up is the pre-Region/District Seeding Tournament which will be held inside the friendly confines of Hinkhouse Gymnasium on Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27. Scoring in the tournament is best two games out of three. Teams participating include NEO, Longview Community College, East Central College, St. Louis Community College-Meramec, and St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley. Cottey will face East Central at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and on Saturday will square off against Meramec at 11:30 a.m. and Florissant Valley at 4 p.m. Saturday times are approximate as each match will begin as soon as the one preceding it ends.