Volleyball closes book on inaugural season

The first season of Western Iowa Tech volleyball ended with a four-set loss to Morningside JV Monday night in the Dunker Center.

With no postseason possibilities, Monday's match was always going to be the Comets' finale, yet in some ways it felt like an elimination game. 

"There was some sting in that locker room afterwards, and I think that's a good thing," head coach Dante Frattini said. "We want people in this program that relish the competition and the opportunities we have to play this sport and represent this school. If it hurt a bit to lose that last game, then maybe that helps light the fire that extends our season next year."

The Comets finished 11-19 overall and 4-7 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference with an all-freshmen roster.

"Overall, I'm really proud of this group," Frattini said. "Being the first is a tough task. You take the brunt of the damage when you blaze a trail, and we certainly took our fair share of lumps along the way, some self-inflicted. But we learn from that and we will be better equipped to make a leap into more meaningful contention next season."

The Comets were playing to take a three-game winning streak into the offseason, but never quite found their rhythm against the Mustangs.

Lilou Henry--Souquet-Bressand led the offense with 10 kills and a .200 hitting percentage, both team highs. Kaira Willits led with 25 assists in a game that saw the Comets run both a 6-2 and 5-1 offense. 

"We've been playing a little more of a two-setter system the past couple weeks in an attempt to maximize our pin depth and see what we have going into next year," Frattini said. "Everyone had their moments but we just never fully clicked to play with the consistency we needed to compete at our best tonight."

Willits also notched 10 digs for her 18th double-double of the season.

Libero Eriza Tamez led the Comets with 25 digs, her second-highest total of the season and most in a four-set match.

Maya Augustine had eight kills and 10 digs, and Cooper Champoux had seven kills.

The Comets finished 5-6 in October, with four losses coming against teams that have been nationally ranked this season.

Two of those conference rivals, Kirkwood and Iowa Central, finished the regular season ranked in the top 10, and each suffered a first-set loss at the hands of WIT. 

"Those are definitely losses coated in a silver lining," Frattini said. "It says a lot about us that we have that in us. That, at our best, we can compete with the literal best this conference has to offer. Now we have to look at the standard that those great programs set and strive to reach their level."

The Comets lost to Kirkwood, ranked No. 6 at the time and now No. 4, on October 12. A week later the Comets fell in four to Iowa Central, then No. 3 and now No. 9, by a score of 25-23, 18-25, 17-25, 17-25.

Wins against Briar Cliff (25-13, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18) on October 23 and Iowa Lakes (25-16, 25-18, 25-17) on October 25 pushed the Comets to double-digit wins.

Champoux shined in Estherville with nine kills and a .500 hitting percentage against Iowa Lakes. Jagoda Szczepaniak also scored nine kills and Kealohilani DeNisi had eight. Both Willits and Shantel Denetsosie finished with 16 assists. Augustine had four service aces and 12 digs, both team highs.

Augustine led the attack against Briar Cliff with 12 kills, followed by DeNisi's 10 and Champoux's nine. 

Denetsosie earned her second double-double of the season with an impressive 17 assists and 15 digs. Willits had 21 assists and an ace. Melanie Koval scored six kills and hit .500 for the match.