HOPE — After dropping three matches to three big schools in the past week, the Hauser volleyball team was ready to see someone its own size Thursday night.
The Jets, who were coming off losses to Shelbyville, Seymour and Brown County, posted a Mid-Hoosier Conference sweep of South Decatur, winning 25-12, 25-9, 25-12 on Coaches vs. Cancer Night.
"I think as a team, we came back from a lot of a lot of losses and not putting in as much work, and I think through the week, we’ve gotten better, and I think this week is going to go pretty well," said sophomore Hannah Johnson, who led Hauser with 12 kills.
The Cougars (5-10, 1-3) jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first set and before the Jets (9-8, 2-0) got a sideout, and Johnson served five consecutive points to a 10-4 lead. Hauser led 14-8 when it got a sideout, and Melanie Taylor served seven points in a row for a 22-8 lead.
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South Decatur again started quick in the second set, taking a 3-2 lead. The Jets got a sideout to tie it, and Shelby Fugate gave them the lead for good with five straight service points. Kylie Lock also had a five-point service run in the set that extended the lead to 20-7.
Hauser jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the third set. Jets coach Jeff Case had a chance to play his entire bench late in the second and third sets.
"(South Decatur) is doing a lot of good things," Case said. "They’re still working on things, and we just wanted to make sure that we were playing hard and taking care of our business. It was a match where we were able to get some other girls in, but we still had to stay with our intensity. Every opportunity is a chance to make a play and a chance to get better. I was pretty happy with our effort and our intensity."
Marnie Schwartzkopf recorded five digs and three aces for the Jets. Aunuka Wasil tallied 17 assists, Olivia Wright had three blocks, Fugate and Lock each notched five digs and Taylor served three aces.
Also for Hauser, Fugate and Lock each pounded seven kills, and Wasil and Lock each served two aces. Wasil, Johnson and Lock all had one block, and Abby Branum added six assists.
"By the end of the game, we had a lot of momentum, and we started carrying it over set by set," Johnson said.
Lana Bell pounded five kills, Karah Biddinger had 23 digs and Whitnye Burton served two aces to lead the Cougars. Biddinger added two kills, Bell had nine digs and Brooke Somers served an ace.
"We started well, and I think we finished well," South Decatur coach Carrie Somers said. "We just had too many lulls inbetween our good moments. Even though we got beat the first two, that third set, I thought we still came out with energy ready to play and not giving up."
