(Anita, IA) – The CAM Cougars face off against the Exira-EHK Spartans for the third time this year in volleyball postseason action tonight. The Cougars are coming off four straight wins, with their last win coming over Martensdale St. Mary’s 3-0. Head coach Jenna McDonald knows that her athletes have kept their attitudes high and their energy high, which has only led down the line of success this season.
CAM is led in the hitting game by Eva Steffensen who has 333 kills this season, almost 100 more than in 2022. She is also hitting .267 overall this season, as she has had 893 attempts this year. The senior also has 241 digs in the back row as she has been a utility player all over the floor. To add to her statistics, she is relentless in the serving game with 47 aces and is serving 91.5% from the service line.
The Cougars’ blocking game has been outstanding this season as they are averaging 3.6 blocks per match. They are led by Payton Laporte with 33 blocks alongside Emma Follman and Eva Steffensen with 31 blocks each. While the Cougars have shown to be a blocking team this season, it has almost come as a natural reaction for CAM.
You cannot forget about the back-row athletic ability of Meredith Rich this season. The senior has 457 digs this year and is also second on the team in aces with 32 this season. As a captain, she has commanded the back row and taken control of the court.
Tonight, CAM will host Exira-EHK as they are taking on the Spartans for the third time this season. CAM has beaten Exira-EHK 2-0 in August and 3-0 in September. With such a young team of the Exira-EHK Spartans, you never know what to expect on the floor through their scrappy play and tough hitting.
Exira-EHK’s Jaelynn Petersen has 160 kills overall and also has 39 blocks this season as she leads in both categories. Petersen also leads in the serving game with 34 aces this season. The Spartans also rely on Taryn Petersen and Mayne Jorgensen in the hitting game with over 180 kills combined. CAM is just looking to slow down the Spartans and stay ahead in the scoring column while doing so.
CAM takes on Exira-EHK tonight in Class 1A Region 4 volleyball action with the first-serve at 7:00 p.m.
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