Cougars downed by Danville in 4-set regular season finale

North Putnam senior Madison Harris skies above the Danville defense for an attack on Wednesday. Harris finished with two kills in her final home match as a Cougar. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

ROACHDALE -- The North Putnam volleyball team had a setback on Wednesday, losing to visiting Danville 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 25-12 in its final match of the regular season.

The Cougars played solid in the second set, building a big lead and maintaining it until late, but the group struggled in transitioning from defense to offense and with the brilliant play of Danville sophomore Olivia Hartman.

"We were off one game, and that's fine. I'd rather be off tonight than at sectional," NPHS coach Brandy Dickson said. "I saw some good things, we just struggled a little bit with some things during different points in the game."

The Cougars got out to a fast start but the holes in their defense started to appear when Hartman ripped a pair of aces midway through the first set to give the Warriors a 9-6 lead. Senior Haley Lynch extended the run a few plays later.

North Putnam failed to string together more than two consecutive points throughout the first set, struggling to deal with the precise attacks of 6-foot-2 Hartman.

"(Hartman) is a tough player," Dickson said. "Shay (Lucas), Raegan (Bowling), Kaitlin (Mindiola) and Bethany (Wiatt) are usually pretty on; I have a lot of confidence in them in serve receiving."

The Cougars, and junior Kayla Clodfelter, found it during the second set.

Clodfelter had three blocks in the set, leading the Cougars for the match, and affected numerous other chances, allowing the NPHS team to play with confidence from the back row.

That attitude carried over to the service line. Senior Kelsey Reed got the team started, running off five straight points, including two aces, early in the set.

Reed tied sophomore Taylor Nauert for the team-lead with eight points in the match.

The Cougars dominated throughout the set, building a 23-13 lead before taking their foot off the gas late and allowing the Warriors to regain momentum. That was something NPHS failed to regain for the rest of the match.

While the team struggled, Dickson said her team did show some positive signs, particularly with the experience it gained heading into the postseason.

"We need to make sure we're using all of our hitters," she said. "We need to focus a little bit on stepping up and finding our offense and not worrying so much about the other team."

Reed led the team with 19 assists and Nauert had 13 kills. Senior Madison Asbell had eight digs to lead the team and six kills. Sophomore Raegan Bowling and senior Bethany Wiatt both had five digs. Senior Madison Harris started and had two kills.

North Putnam begins sectional play against Monrovia on Thursday, a team the Cougars beat in four sets on Oct. 1.

While the Bulldogs don't have a hitter as dominating as its opponent on Wednesday, they still present challenges. The key, Dickson said, will be to stay focused and play their game.

"We can't underestimate them and we can't look past them," she said. "We just need to come out and play our game. Come in with all the energy and be willing to set up our offense and attack the ball."

NPHS plays Monrovia at Cloverdale High School on Oct. 1, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

At North Putnam
Danville 25 22 25 25
North Putnam 13 25 16 12