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The Ramblers dropped their third consecutive match to start the season, this time to Hiawatha Valley League foe Kasson-Mantorville 3-1 (25-21, 25-10, 19-25, 25-20).
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Cotter High School's Courtney Dennis receives a serve during their game Thursday night against Kasson-Mantorville High School at Barb Bischel Memorial Gymnasium in Winona. (Photo by Fred Schulze/Winona Daily News) |
But it’s early and changes are still in the works. First-year coach Nick Whaley started the season with freshman Micaela Trainor in the middle and senior Whitney Wisecup on the outside.
Wednesday, he decided to switch it up.
“We just changed our entire rotation,” Whaley said. “We did that with about a half hour left in practice (Wednesday).”
So, Thursday, Cotter featured Wisecup in the middle and Trainor on the outside.
It could take awhile for the players to become accustomed to their new positions — at least more than a half hour of practice.
“I think Whitney will be a lot better in the middle,” Whaley said. “I think it works all the way around.”
The Ramblers went through their ups and downs with the new rotation, but the match certainly was not out of reach.
Game 1 was close throughout and Cotter (0-3, 0-2) had an 18-16 lead, but the KoMets (4-2, 2-0) closed with a 9-3 run.
Game 2 Cotter would just as soon throw out the window.
The Ramblers were down 19-4 at one point, and held serve just nine times. Of those nine attempts, they gave the ball immediately back on service errors three three times.
“They really just served us off the floor,” Whaley said of the KoMets, who had eight aces in the second game. “Their serving was dynamite and we weren’t able to pass.”
K-M played its bench in the third game, and Cotter took control behind four kills and a block from Trainor.
That game gave the Ramblers a second chance, and they bounced back in the fourth game, but couldn’t maintain a lead.
“Volleyball has a lot to do with momentum,” Whaley said. “When you can grab momentum back, you always have a chance, because you just have to win three.”
K-M left its starters out of the third game, but they were back in the fourth.
“That was a classy thing to do by (coach Larry Hegerle),” Whaley said. “Sometimes, if a team gets down like that, the coach will put back in all his starters in the middle of the game.”
Despite the starters being back, Cotter got out to an early 12-9 lead, but, again, couldn’t maintain.
K-M tied things up at 12-12 and again at 18-18, before finally putting the Ramblers away with a 7-2 run.
Trainor had eight kills, Wisecup had 16 digs and five kills for Cotter, while teammates Lauren Bowlin had 14 digs and Chelsea Cierzan added 10 digs, 10 assists. Cierzan and Stefani Heaser each had five aces, as well.
K-M was led by seven kills each from Amanda Ries and Michelle Bailey. Tara Rasmussen added 18 digs.
