Marquette girls score just eight points vs. Mediapolis

Chris Faulkner/Sports Editor

WEST POINT -- Bullettes?

How about calling them the Mediapolis Bullets. The varsity volleyball players for Mediapolis came out shooting early and never stopped Thursday night at Marquette High School. Firing few blanks, newly eighth-ranked Mediapolis riddled the Warriors 15-0, 15-4, 15-4, just two days after knocking off fifth-ranked Aquinas for the Superconference tournament title.

"We were concerned coming into tonight," Mediapolis coach Dennis Jandrey said. At the tournament, "We had the emotional high you have to have to play three straight matches.

"To come out and do what we did -- win 15-0 and then give up 4 and 4 -- you can't ask any more than they did," Jandrey said.

Jo Kester was the Top Gun, spraying shotgun blasts onto the Marquette gym floor, but Mediapolis had attacks coming from all sides.

Marquette coach Melissa Freesmeier expected the artillery but had hoped for a better defensive showing from her players.

"We've been working on defense and the things they (the Bullettes) do," Freesmeier said. "We knew they had that quick offense. But we didn't capitalize on their mistakes, what few there were."

The mistakes even told some of the story behind Mediapolis' success this past week. Most of the errors were on attacks, trying to tip here or push the ball there.

"That's what we've been talking about," Coach Jandrey said. "We've got to be aggressive and we've got to go after it. When you start to hold back, that's when the roll shot goes out of bounds or you hit the ball into the net."

Freesmeier saw that as a problem on her team's end. "We weren't aggressive. Aggressive mistakes I don't fault. But we made too many mental mistakes this far into the season."

Freesmeier said of the Bullettes, "Mediapolis is a great team. They don't let a lot of balls drop."

Tara Katlefletier had 13 assists. She served 2 of 3, one block.

Lindsey Winnike hit 12 of 17 with six kills. She made two blocks. Kaci Stuekerjuergen hit 5 of 11 with three kills. She also had five digs and served 5 of 5. Kim Fedler hit 11 of 15 with two kills. She made three digs and had three blocks. She served 3 of 3 with an ace. Dana Gregory hit 6 of 9 with two kills and had six digs. Marcy Thompson served 2 of 3 and had three digs. Kelly Sanders added two digs and three blocks.

In the JV match, Marquette rallied to overcome Mediapolis 4-15, 17-15, 15-10. It was the second time this season Marquette toppled the younger Bullettes.

Heather Merschman had seven blocks, hit 18 of 20 with eight kills and served 3 of 3. Megan Cooling hit 10 of 12 with nine kills and served 4 of 5. She had three assists and 10 digs. Kathleen Vonderhaar had nine assists, two blocks, five digs. She hit 6 of 6 and served 7 of 7. Holly Steffensmeier hit 2 of 2 with two kills. Jessica Freesmeier served 6 of 6 with three aces and had three digs. Kim Sanders had three blocks, 10 digs and hit 18 of 25 with nine kills. Karla Steffensmeier had two blocks, seven digs, hit 8 of 9 with two kills and served 14 of 14 with an ace. Abby Merschman served 13 of 13 with five aces. Ashley Merschman served 2 of 5.

Marquette JV coach Chris Druppel said, "The girls did an outstanding job. They fought and fought and fought and it paid off. They played very aggressively."

Medipolias' JV team consisted mostly of juniors and seniors. Marquette is freshmen and sophomores. "That's really saying something about how aggressive they are," Druppel said.

Marquette's JV team plays Saturday at the WACO tourney.

Marquette lost the freshman match 15-1, 15-12. Karla Steffensmeier spiked 12 of 15 with three kills, and served 4 of 5 with an ace. Amanda Druppel hit 9 of 11 with a kill. Ashley Merschman hit 7 of 7 with two kills and served 3 of 5. She had three digs. Liz Bainbridge had two assists, four digs, hit 3 of 4. Freesmeier hit 2 of 2, served 2 of 2. Erin Steffensmeier hit 2 of 2. Megan Cooling served 2 of 4 with two aces. Abby Merschman had three digs, served 7 of 8 with an ace. Vonderhaar served 2 of 2.

Marquette plays next Monday in a varsity triangular at Fort Madison High School, with Winfield-Mount Union. Marquette plays FMHS at 5:30 p.m., followed by FMHS vs. Winfield and then Marquette and Winfield.