Down, but not out: Sterling volleyball beats UT in 3

STERLING – Already down a set to visiting United Township, Sterling was just five points from being swept.

The Golden Warriors did not let that happen.

Sterling overcame a sluggish start to complete a 20-25, 25-21, 25-15 comeback win in Western Big 6 Conference play Tuesday night at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

The win snapped a four-game skid for Sterling (18-9-4, 5-7 Big 6) as it beat the Panthers (3-25-2, 1-11) for the second time this season.

Sterling senior Delali Amankwa felt the team wasn’t necessarily playing bad, it just took a while to get going. UT, meanwhile, was hitting balls right on the lines and finding openings at the net.

“We weren’t playing as the team we know we are,” she said. “We were just lacking some of those 50/50 balls, kind of lacking some communication.

“So we just started talking more, picked up our energy and picked up our focus.”

UT had Sterling on the ropes after leading the second set 20-15. The Panthers entered the match having won just three sets in Big 6 play.

Kaylee Niemi led UT with nine kills and Mea Johnson (four aces) had eight kills and 10 digs. Lyric Gordon added seven of UT’s 32 kills.

“I think they were playing really scrappy,” Amankwa said. “Our conference is pretty tough, so I think a lot of the times going into it we know that it’s going to be a close two sets, or it’s going to be three sets, no matter what. I feel like we’ve kind of adjusted to that and are prepared.”

Amankwa had 29 assists, two aces and seven digs.

In the third set, Sterling was able to pull away after leading 15-10.

Carley Sullivan led Sterling with eight kills and Nia Harris (13 digs) and Payton Ottens each had seven kills. Marley Sechrest had four of the team’s 10 aces and Macy Anderson (two aces) led the team with 14 digs.

Sterling coach Dale Dykeman said it was a similar story offensively to the three-set loss to Rock Island last Thursday.

“It’s hard to get into offense when you’re not running a consistent serve/receive,” he said. “And then it just took us a little while to get into the game. It just seemed like we started slow. We were a step slow in passing or blocking. We were just a bit off hitting.

“I thought about halfway through the second set and the third set, that’s when we really started gearing up and playing a little bit faster and forcing their hand. You saw a lot more errors on their side.”

Sterling had just four errors between the second and third sets after seven in the first.

“They just played real hard,” Dykeman said of UT. “You could tell they wanted it, especially those first couple sets. Teams like that, you just have to force them to play a little faster than they’re comfortable with, force them into unforced errors.”

Sterling’s next match is at Galesburg on Thursday followed by another road trip to LaSalle-Peru on Monday. Sterling wraps up conference play at home against Alleman next Tuesday and closes the regular season against Mendota on Oct. 24.

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