Sports editor
Two losses Sept. 23 at the Wichita Collegiate triangular leaves MHS with a record of 8-13 on the season.
The Warriors began with a match against Collegiate, losing in two games 25-15, 25-22.
MHS fell to 0-2 on the season against the Spartans.
The match did not count toward league standings, however, a 25-20, 25-22 loss to Hesston the same night did.
Marion struggled in the first game against Collegiate, accumulating a -.059 hitting percentage, and just two kills.
The girls bounced back in game two after hitting .294 and recording eight kills.
Julia Zeiner and Kayley Heerey each had three kills in the match, while Whitney Gordon contributed two, and Lindsay Hett and Kathy Goering each had one.
The Warriors has seven assists with their 10 kills, led by Hett’s three.
MHS was much more productive in the match against Hesston hitting at .643 and .421 clips in the two games.
Zeiner did not commit an attack error in her 13 attempts, recording 10 kills and .769 attack percentage in the match.
Hett had nine assists, and Tiffany Christensen added eight.
As a team, Marion committed just two attack errors, but also had five service errors.
The Warriors were playing without sophomore setter Chassidy Carlson, who became ill that morning.
“I wasn’t ready for not having a setter,” MHS head coach Jim Versch said. “We got on the bus, and it’s kind of like not having a quarterback.”
However, the coach wasn’t putting the blame on the players.
“I didn’t prepare very well,” Versch said. “So, I guess that’s my fault.”
Next on the schedule for Marion is a quad Tuesday at Wichita Collegiate.
It will be the third time the Warriors have played the Spartans, and their final chance at a victory.
“We know they are a good team, we just need to get over the hump,” Versch said.
After Collegiate, the Warriors play Oct. 14 at Halstead, Oct. 18 in the Hillsboro tournament, and Oct. 21 at Haven, before sub-state.
With about a third of the season left, the Warriors need just one more victory to best their eight from a year ago.
“We need to win matches to start feeling comfortable,” Versch said. “I’m not even thinking about sub-state yet.”
Versch knows some more victories will come, but he thinks the team has to take a deep breath and relax before that happens.
“We are focusing on becoming a little more loose as a team, and go out and have fun,” he said. “When we do that, we play well.”