Mineral Area picks up straight-set home win
Mineral Area outside hitter Vitoria Campos attacks during game one volleyball action against East Central on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Union, Mo.
PARK HILLS – The Mineral Area volleyball team spread production around its deep roster and notched its second straight-set victory of the week on Friday.
Fredericktown graduate Kyndal Dodd generated seven kills and three solo blocks from the middle, and the Cardinals topped visiting Lewis & Clark 25-14, 25-10, 25-7.
Giovanna Mye totaled seven kills, 10 assists and two aces over two games, and Mariana de Carvalho finished with six kills, five digs and two aces for Mineral Area (12-3).
The Cardinals ran a crisp offense, even when forced out of system, and limited their miscues while making the opposition earn nearly every point.
Lewis & Clark (3-9) notched 12 of its 14 points in game one on kills, including four by Haris Legendre and three more from Kloi Karban, and briefly grabbed a 7-6 lead.
MAC dominated the remainder of the action. Mye followed her stuff-block by back-setting quickly to Vitoria Campos for an unimpeded smash on the right side at 15-8.
The Trailblazers cut into a 19-10 deficit when Payton Dunn spiked off a blocker and Maddy Mancuso guided a two-handed push perfectly into the deep corner.
But de Carvalho countered with a roll shot that found the floor, then capped the opening game with her second ace off a biting jump serve.
Consecutive aces from Mye and an ensuing block by Amiyah Saxton — who filled in for injured middle Payton Roberts — highlighted a Mineral Area surge toward 16-5 in game two.
Dodd asserted her will once rotating back into the lineup, sandwiching two blocks around and ace by Summer Meyer during a game-clinching streak of five straight points.
Lewis & Clark executed three scoring blocks in a span of nine points to stay within 7-5 before the Cardinals turned the final stanza into a complete runaway.
Setter Alandry Below not only collected eight of her 18 total assists down the stretch, but also picked up four kills with a clever dink shot and overpass spike in the mix.
Saxton served an overwhelming 11-0 run that featured a connection between former high school teammates Gracie Hicks and Reese Gray on an accurate bump set.
Berkli Benefield went back-to-back with Dodd on stuff blocks at 23-7, and Below cleared a free ball that landed untouched on match point after Katie Huster saved the rally beyond the back line.
Huster led all players with 13 digs at libero, and Below added seven more. Meyer rested through game three after giving MAC five digs and three back-row assists.
Campos rifled a short leaping back-set from Below for one of her five kills, and Layane Lima equaled Gray with four apiece in the win.
Mineral Area begins a full week of preparation for the always challenging Hutchinson Tournament.
Legendre paced Lewis & Clark with six kills, and Tessa Neely picked up six digs.
