Knights dwarf Lady Hawks in regional quarters

DAVENPORT — Central Lee volleyball coach Amy Cook could see in warmups that Davenport Assumption was going to be a problem.
And as soon as Thursday’s Class 3A Region 2 semifinal began, the second-ranked Knights were just that.
Featuring a roster that rolled out four players who were six feet tall or more, Assumption controlled the net in the 25-12, 25-14, 25-4 win over the Hawks.
The Knights (24-7) will play host to Wilton (28-7) in next Tuesday’s regional final with a state tournament berth at stake.
The Hawks had their moments in the first two sets, but Assumption’s power, led by 6-3 senior middle hitter Ellah Derrer, was too much.
“For a while, we were getting on some blocks,” Cooks said. “But they’re just quick. They’re good. And they adjusted to us.”
Derrer, who was honored after the match for reaching 1,000 kills for her career, had 16 in this match to go along with five blocks. 
“She’s good,” Cook said. “She’s really good. But there’s more than just her.”
Sophomore Belle Cotton, who is 5-11, had nine kills. Senior Erin Robbins, a 6-0 middle hitter, had eight.

Derrer had three kills and a block in Assumption’s opening 6-0 run in the first set, setting a tone for the rest of the night.
Central Lee (14-16) started to gain some momentum against the Knights in the second set. The Hawks scored five consecutive points to build an 8-6 lead, but Assumption scored 10 of the next 13 points to take control again.
“We just didn’t really … I don’t want to say we shut down, but we didn’t really push through the hard like we could have,” Cook said. “We just shut down to a point when the communication stopped, and you can’t compete if you’re not talking.”
The Knights then dominated the third set, leading 13-3 before scoring 12 of the final 13 points to finish the win.
Central Lee loses four seniors off this team — Taylor Jones, Jayden Mueller, Kenna Sandoval and Aubrey Weber. Jones led the team in kills this season, Mueller led the team in digs, and Sandoval led in assists. 
“I do think this season, our seniors left their mark,” Cook said. “They’re going to do great things in life.”
Thursday’s match was an education for the Central Lee underclassmen, Cook said.
“I think they saw this is what we’re going to have to face in the future, so we have to be ready,” Cook said. “Playing a team like this, it shows this is what we have to do.
“This season, it’s brought our underclassmen out of their shells. They’re going to make it their season next year. They came out of their shells, they were more vocal, they learned a lot this season. They’re already talking about what they’re going to do in the offseason. I do think good things are coming.”