Slow starts keep Lady Hounds winless

I thought we started every game a little slow. I would have liked to have seen us come out a little more ready to play right from the get-go. It seemed like we wanted to settle in, and I don’t think you can do that, ever.”

Kelly Knustrom, FMHS Girls volleyball coach

WASHINGTON — Fort Madison volleyball coach Kelly Knustrom called a timeout in the second set of Tuesday’s game against Washington to deliver a message to her team.
And while it didn’t help the Bloodhounds in their three-set loss, Knustrom hopes they listened and learned from the message.
The 25-19, 26-24, 25-13 loss to the Demons in the Southeast Conference opener for both teams dropped the Bloodhounds to 0-7. But Knustrom knows the season is still early.
It’s all about getting to a fast start, she said, and that was something she said to the Bloodhounds in the second set, when they were down 11-10.
“I thought we started every game a little slow,” Knustrom said. “I would have liked to have seen us come out a little more ready to play right from the get-go. It seemed like we wanted to settle in, and I don’t think you can do that, ever.”
The Bloodhounds had enough fire in them to be close late in the first two sets. They were down 17-16 in the first set before the Demons scored six of the next seven points to take control.
Then, after Knustrom’s timeout, the Bloodhounds led 22-20, and then fought to tie the match at 23-all and 24-all before surrendering the final two points on kills from Taylor Miksch and Leighton Messinger.
“I hoped we were going to pull it off,” Knustrom said. “We played so well in that game and showed a lot of fight, and I was hoping we could get that one.
“We have the capabilities. We have the tools. We just have to dig down, and want it a little more than the other team.”
Washington then dominated the third set. The Demons got off to a 9-4 lead, then later had a seven-point run that included three consecutive aces from Ella Greiner to take a 21-7 lead.
“I was glad that we kept fighting in that third game,” Knustrom said. “Washington didn’t want to go more than three (sets) and they proved it from the beginning. Kudos to them taking the momentum from Game 2. I thought we still had some swings left in us, and we did some good things.”
Ajia Jenkins and Taylor Johnson each had seven kills for the Bloodhounds. Mara Smith had 18 assists. Elle Ruble had eight digs.
Jenkins was 9-of-10 serving. Ruble was 9-of-11 serving, while Smith was 8-of-10.