Rockets open season by beating Eagles

By Jon Dykstra | August 22, 2017 |

JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
West Nodaway senior Alissa Nelson serves on Monday against Clarinda Academy in Clarinda, Iows.

CLARINDA, Iowa — The growth of the West Nodaway volleyball team was on full display in its season-opening straight-set victory over Clarinda Academy Monday evening.

“We have a focus this year,” West Nodaway coach Jennifer McGinness said. “We have better teamwork and we have a focus that we are going to win that game.”

Two seasons ago, the Rockets fell victim to the Eagles in four sets, marking the first time in five years that the Eagles had won a match over another varsity team.

Now just two years later, West Nodaway (1-0) is able to play their junior varsity at the end of the third set to wrap up an impressive 25-9, 25-13, 25-10 victory over Clarinda Academy (0-1). That growth was not lost on senior Alissa Nelson, who was also a starter on the 2015 team.

“That was amazing. I don’t know what else to say. We just have come together so much more as a team this year,” Nelson said. “This game really showed how much we’ve progressed over the years.”

The Rockets set the tone early with Nelson serving the team to a 6-1 lead with a pair of aces. West Nodaway continued the momentum even after Nelson lost her serve and they took the 25-9 win.

The second set was nearly a mirror image of the first with Nelson serving the team to an 8-0 lead, and they rolled to a 25-13 decision.

The third set had a very different feel to it early with Nelson being unable to hold her serve. Clarinda Academy took an 8-6 lead — the only time they held a lead other than a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the first set.

The Rockets eased ahead 10-9, but it still seemed the Eagles would hang close until the end. At that point, Nelson took over again and made sure no comeback would be in the cards for the Eagles. Nelson held serve for 13-straight points and essentially ended the game by running the score to 23-9.

“I was thinking that we should be that close,” Nelson said of her mindset going into her game-clinching run.

During Nelson’s service run, McGinness was able to play a lot of the Rockets’ junior varsity to close out the set and even pulled Nelson after she gave up her serve. The junior varsity capped the 25-10 match-sealing victory.

Nelson’s terrific service game was displayed in the final statistics with her 16 aces.

“Alissa is amazing,” McGinness said. “I’ve said it before; she is our all-around player. She can serve the ball, hit the ball and dig the ball. To have her out there serving the ball, it is huge for us. She is the leader on the team and she gets us going.”

With the Rockets’ serves being so effective, there were not very many kill opportunities to be had, but junior Faith Sanders led the team with two. Sophomore Karlie Emery led the team with three assists and freshman Imajen Downing had the lone dig.

McGinness was very happy with the development she’s seen from the team’s new setter Olivia Miller.

“Olivia has never played setter before and she played there tonight,” McGinness said. “Her finger is hurting so she was a little off, but she did a great job being there. She was always where she needed to be and I think she is going to be an amazing setter for us.”

Now with that first win in the books, the Rockets will travel to Tarkio on Thursday and Saturday for the East Atchison Tournament, where they will get their first taste of action against other Missouri schools.

“This is a good game to boost us going into the East Atchison Tournament,” McGinness said. “I think this a good momentum boost for these girls.”