By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

As the team with the smallest roster Saturday in the Marion Spikefest volleyball tournament, the Centre Lady Cougars’ strength and durability was tested. They finished 1-2 in pool play but won the consolation match to end the day with a respectable 2-2 record.

Shelby Makovec was almost perfect in setting the ball from various locations on the court. Brenna Shields, Carlotta Benning, Summer Espinoza, and Shelby Pankratz were strong at the net.

The team got off to a good start, defeating Berean Academy in two sets, 25-22 and 25-19. It was a particularly satisfying victory after losing to Berean in three close sets a week earlier at the Centre tournament.

They then had to face Marion and were defeated in two sets, 25-20 and 25-19, a respectable finish against a strong 8-1 team.

The Lady Cougars played Lyons in the third match. After winning 25-22 in the first game, they lost the second game, 26-24. The players appeared to have run out of steam in the third game and lost, 25-12, their biggest loss of the tournament.

However, they had more left to give. The consolation match against Halstead might have been their best match of the tournament. They played three close sets, 25-19, 21-25, and 25-23, to win the match. Their overall record for the season at the end of the day was 6-7.