Rochester volleyball beats Peru in 4 in TRC opener

Leap leads with 9 kills, including critical set point; Lett, Holloway have 25 digs

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

PERU — Kennedy Leap had a team-high nine kills, including one on set point in the third set, and Kylie Coleman had seven kills and four aces to lead the Rochester

Kennedy Leap

volleyball team to a come-from-behind win over host Peru in their Three Rivers Conference opener Thursday.

Rochester won 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19 to improve to 4-6 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Caitlyn Miller had a match-high 15 kills for Peru, who fell to 4-16, 1-4 TRC.

Lillee Lett had 25 digs and 14 assists, and Alexa Kouskousakis had 20 digs and 11 assists for the Lady Zs. Rily Holloway had 25 digs and 21 serves received.

“I feel like we started playing well toward the end of the first set,” Rochester coach Erin Leap said. “So we just needed to continue to what we were doing there, but we also found the tendencies of their big hitter, number 10 (Miller). So we were able to figure out where we needed to play defense with her. She still got a lot of kills on us … but that was our goal was to just slow the ball down so our defense could play it behind them. I felt like we were able to slow it down and able to get some rallies going.”

After the teams split the first two sets, the third set was tied at 15, at 16, at 17 and at 18 and at 20. An Audrey Bolinger deep tip and a Bolinger kill gave Rochester a 22-20 lead, but Peru would tie it again.

A Kylie Coleman kill and a Rily Holloway service winner got Rochester to set point, but Jayma Majors’ flat-footed kill cut the lead to 24-23.

That’s when Rochester called on Leap, who put a crosscourt attack that ticked off the net and just on Peru’s side of the floor to give Rochester a 2-1 lead.

“I was just trying to hit it over, and it hit the net,” Kennedy Leap said. “I mean, it made me super nervous, but once it went over, I was glad. … I get nervous, but once I start the point, I block it out, and I don’t think it about it.”

Rochester then raced to a 10-2 lead in Game 4.

Peru would close to within 15-13, but Lillee Lett would stop the run with a kill from the outside that went down the middle. A Shelby Renn kill error for Peru and a Lett service winner made it 18-13.

A five-point run with Leap on serve made it 23-14. Peru would close within 24-19, but the match ended when Peru’s Addison Butt planted a serve into the net.

Kennedy Leap said the two-match winning streak this week – they started with a win in three over Lewis Cass at home Tuesday – was a result of playing with more “excitement.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better senior year,” Kennedy Leap said. “I really like my team, and we’re working together very well. I feel like we’re going to have a good season.”

Rochester has a week to prepare for a home match against defending TRC and sectional champion Southwood next Thursday.

“We’re just trying to keep the intensity up more during practice and just get things moving a little quicker,” coach Leap said.

Rochester also won the JV match, 25-14, 19-25, 15-11.

Rochester def. Peru, 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19

Rochester stats

Kylie Coleman – 7 kills 4 aces, 1 block, 7 digs, 6 serves received; Kennedy Leap – 9 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks, 4 digs, 3 serves received; Kylee Freant – 3 kills, 2 aces, 1 block, 7 digs, 9 serves received; Alexa Kouskousakis – 4 kills, 1 block, 20 digs, 11 assists, 7 serves received; Lillee Lett – 3 kills, 1 ace, 25 digs, 14 assists, 7 serves received; Audrey Bolinger – 5 kills, 2 blocks, 1 dig, 1 assist; Rily Holloway – 1 ace, 25 digs, 21 serves received; Emma Sells – 9 digs, 1 assist, 3 serves received; Darah Strasser – 3 digs, 7 serves received; Mia Howdeshell – 6 digs, 6 serves received

JV: Rochester def. Peru, 25-14, 19-25, 15-11

Rochester JV stats

Mia Howdeshell – 5 kills, 3 aces; Rylee Clevenger – 3 kills, 12 digs, 11 serves received; Haley Durkes – 3 aces, 12 digs, 6 assists; Darah Strasser – 11 digs, 11 serves received