Rachyl Miller, Victoria Cates, Katelyn Jones, Megan Griggs and Chanler Steenbergen were statistical leaders for the Logan County Lady Cougars in the Apollo Invitational softball tournament this weekend. In fact, four of the five either led or were tied for first in two categories.
Coach Steven Lyne’s team went 4-1 in the tournament, finishing fifth among 24 teams gathered in Owensboro.
Steenbergen led in kills and was tied with Jones for first in attacks. Jones was tied for another first, leading in blocks along with Griggs. Miller had almost all the assists and was also first in aces. Cates was tops in both digs and service receptions.
The Lady Cougars won their two pool games Friday to reach the Gold Bracket. They lost their opening match in that championship division before knocking off two schools with great sports reputations, Henderson County and host Apollo. That lone loss was to Green County, which Assistant Coach Rob Imlay reports went on to win the tournament.
The opening round match was one of the toughest. Whitesville Trinity, one of the smallest schools in the area, came within an eyelash of handing powerful Logan a loss to start the tournament. The Storm won the first game 25-18. Logan eeked out a 25-23 win in the second. It took overtime for the Lady Cougars to win the rubber game 17-15.
Steenbergen and Griggs recorded 19 attacks each and Rebecca Dezarn 16. Griggs turned 6 of them into kills with Dezarn and Jones adding 5 each. Griggs fired 3 aces with Miller getting 2 and Maddie Abbott and Cates 1 each. Jones and Griggs each had 5 blocks. Miller led with 14 assists and 12 digs. Steenbergen added 10 digs, Abbott 7 and Cates 6. Abbott returned 11 serves, Breanna Whittaker 6, Dezarn 5, and Brittany Harper and Cates 4 each.
The most lopsided match came in a 25-13, 25-12 win over Hopkins county Central. Jones and Griggs had 8 attacks, Steenbergen 7 and Savannah Shelton 5. The kills leader was Steenbergen with 5 while Jones and Shelton each had 5, Griggs 3 and Dezarn 2. Additionally, Dezarn fired 3 aces with Abbott, Shelton and Miller each adding 1. Griggs managed the only 2 blocks. Miller piled up 17 assists. She also led in digs with 4 while Steenbergen, Harper and Dezarn had 3 each. Cates received 6 serves, Abbott 5, Steenbergen 4\ and Whittaker 2.
In the Gold Bracket, champion Green County won 25-16 in the opening game Saturday, but the Lady Cougars made it close before losing 25-23 in the second game.
Steenbergen attacked 19 times, one more than Jones. Dezarn following with 12, Abbott 10 and Griggs 8. Jones and Steenbergen each slammed 5 kills, Griggs 3, and Abbott and Dezarn 2 each. Griggs and Steenbergen each got one of the team’s two aces. Jones had 4 blocks, Griggs 3, Steenbergen and Abbott 2 each and Miller 1. Miller had 14 assists, and she joined Abbott and Cates with 7 digs each. Dezarn added 5. Cates returned 10 serves, Abbott 9, Steenbergen 7 and Whittaker 6.
The losing streak continued when Henderson County won the first game of the next match 25-23, but Logan came back to win 25-18 and 15-9.
Steenbergen led with 16 attacks while Jones and Dezarn had 13 each, Griggs 8, Brianna Wooden and Kapresha Powell 6 each, and Abbott and Shelton 5 each. Steenbergen converted half of the attacks into 8 kills while Wooden added 4, Jones, Dezarn and Griggs 3 each, Powell 2 and Abbott 1. Miller had 4 aces, Powell 3, Abbott, Dezarn and Griggs 2 each, and Cates and Steenbergen 1, each as the team recorded 15 aces on 61 service attempts. Miller had the only block and all the assists with 22. Abbott was the digs leader with 8 while Cates had 7, Steenbergen 5, Griggs 3, Dezarn and Whittaker 2 each, and Brittany Harper and Jones 1 each. Cates received 13 assists, more than twice as many has second place Abbott (6). Dezarn and Whittaker each returned 5, Steenbergen 4, and Harper and Shelton 3 each.
The final win game in split games against host Apollo, always a tough volleyball team. Apollo won the opener 25-22 with Logan taking the last two 25-21,15-8.
Jones was in an attack mode, piling up 23. Dezarn also was aggressive, totaling 19 attacks/ Griggs added 15. Abbott 14, Steenbergen 12 and Powell 8. Dezarn led with 7 kills while Griggs and Jones had 5 each, Abbott 4, Steenbergen 2, and Powell and Miller 1 each. Miller had 5 aces followed by Abbott, Dezarn and Steenbergen 1 each. Griggs blocked 5 shots with Abbott and Jones stopping 2 each and Steenbergen 1. Miller had 17 assists, the same total as Cates in digs. Miller totaled 5 digs with Abbott, Steenbergen and Dezarn adding 4 each. Once again, 17 was the magic number. That was Cates’ receoptions total with Dezarn getting 14 and Abbott 12.
The following is the leaders’ total of statistics released by Assistant Coach James Imlay and compiled by The LoJo:
Attacks: Canler Steenbergen and Katelyn Jones 73 each, Rebecca Dezarn 64, Megan Griggs 58, Maddie Abbott 30
Kills: Steenbergen 23, Jones 22, Griggs 20, Dezarn 19
Aces: Rachyl Miller 12, Griggs and Dezarn 6 each, Abbott 5
Blocks: Jones and Griggs 15 each, Abbott and Steenbergen 4 each
Assists: Miller 84
Digs: Victoria Cates 38, Miller 31. Abbott 27, Steenbergen 24, Dezarn 17
Service Receptions: Cates 50, Abbott 43, Dezarn 28, Steenbergen 21, Breanna Whittaker 20