Hounds get emotional 5-set win over Mt. Pleasant

Emotional win

We got emotional after game two and I don’t know if that took a toll on us, but the first two games, they played so amazing. I was so happy for them.”

Kelly Knustrom, FMHS Girls volleyball coach

FORT MADISON – The usual crimson and black was replaced by green Tuesday night in the home opener for Lady Hounds volleyball team.
The “Be Aggressive” green tees were supplemented by a variety of other greens in the students section as Fort Madison rolled to a very emotional 5-set win over Mt. Pleasant 25-22, 25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 15-12.
The green tees were to honor the family of senior Alexis Beebe who lost her mother to an illness in the off-season. A special moment was held prior to the game for Alexis and her family to remember Judy Beebe.
The emotion spilled over into the match that came down to the tie-breaker where Fort Madison remembered they could play at the net.
Senior Taylor Johnson set a tone early in the fifth-set with the Hounds up 4-1. Johnson got a huge block from the middle position to make it 5-1 and then got a big attack, a block, and then a kill in a 5-second span that brought a special energy to an already ramped up Hound Dome.
“Taylor played a great game all the way around and I’m super proud of her. (She) never gave up which is all I can ask of any of them. These girls want to win,” said an emotional Head Coach Kelly Knustrom after the game.
Senior Aija Jenkins got a kill to give the Bloodhounds a 7-1 lead and Dayonna Davis followed with a kill from the right corner to make it 8-1. But the Panthers, who refused to go away, battled back again just as they had being down two sets to none.
Mt. Pleasant came all the way back to tie things up at 8 with senior Emma Starr serving eight straight and finally giving the Hounds a side out leading 9-8 when Johnson got another kill to stop the momentum swing.
The two teams would tie at 10 and 11 before Beebe came to the serving line and rattled off five straight points with several very close calls on the lines. With Fort Madison up 14-10, Mt. Pleasant called a time out and came out with a kill to get the side out.
But Davis would clean things up with a sharp winner cross court from the right corner to give the Hounds the win.
Fort Madison started with a run with two 25-22 wins to take a two-set lead, but the Panthers responded after the break between the second and third sets. Knustrom said the Lady Hounds got emotional going into the third set.
“We got emotional after game two and I don’t know if that took a toll on us, but the first two games, they played so amazing. I was so happy for them,” she said.
"It’s an emotional night anyway, playing for Judy. I think just finding a way to keep that energy up in game 1 and game 2 was tough on the girls. Mt. Pleasant settled in in games 3 and 4.”
Fort Madison trailed 0-4 to open the first set and then came roaring back to catch the Panthers at 10 all. After an a 11-11 tie, the Hounds went ahead and never trailed again in the first set, building leads as big as seven points before Mt. Pleasant cut the lead to 1 at 23-22, but a missed service and an Amy Yasenchok ace wrapped up the first set.
The Lady Hounds had little trouble in the second set, building a lead as high as eight points before allowing the Panthers back into the set tying things up at 18. Davis and sophomore Sydney McEntee put a block in the middle to get things going again for the Hounds. Jenkins would pound an attack from the left corner to the back right for the set winner at 24-22.
Mt. Pleasant led for all but a 5-5 tie in the third set, and then two teams battled through the fourth set with 10 ties ,the last at 20-20, before the Panthers went on a 4-1 run and got back-to-back kills to set up the tiebreaker.
During the final break, Knustrom said the Hounds talked about making things happen and not being passive.
“We went in the hall and talked about making things happen and not waiting for things to happen,” Knustrom said.
She said the girls are improving, they just need to believe in that progress.
“We just stay the course and keep improving every day. They have done that, but now it comes down to them believing they're improving.”
Johnson finished the day 18-24 attacking with nine kills. Jenkins was 15-20 at the net with nine kills. Davis also had nine kills on the night. Mara Smith had 33 assists. Lauryn Helmick had 15 digs to lead the Hounds. Beebe led Fort Madison at the service line going 20-21 with four aces.
The Bloodhounds are coming off a 1-3 performance Saturday at the Midland Tournament and now stand at 2-10 on the year.