'Hounds survive Neosho

Fort Scott Community College's volleyball team presents a check for $100 to Ibraheem Suberu, (front, center) Coordinator of the Youth Volleyball Mission for Samaritan's Feet, during a break in Monday night's volleyball match at Arnold Arena. The coaching staffs of Fort Scott and Neosho County coached in bare feet -- FSCC assistant coach Haley Miller and head coach Lindsay Hill are seen to Suberu's left -- to raise awareness of the campaign. Hill and NCCC head coach Asya Herron were the first in the Jayhawk Conference to coach barefoot. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Fort Scott Community College's volleyball team raised shoes, money and heart rates at Monday night's Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division match versus Neosho County at Arnold Arena.

Both team's coaching staffs coached in their bare feet to raise awareness for Samaritan's Feet, a campaign to raise awareness for the plight of impoverished children who suffer needlessly from foot-borne diseases and infections due to a lack of shoes. A drop box for donations of shoes or cash for this as well as a youth volleyball mission were placed at the entrance of the arena. The teams presented a $100 check to Coordinator of the Youth Volleyball Mission for Samaritan's Feet Ibraheem Suberu -- former head volleyball coach at Pittsburg State -- during a break between the second and third sets.

The match itself was a back-and-forth affair that took five sets to settle before Fort Scott prevailed 20-25, 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 15-8.

Fort Scott freshmen Brette Moore (3) blocks Neosho County's Elly Sharamet during the second set of Monday night's match as freshman Brianna Bogan (10) comes over to help. Moore had 17 kills in the match to lead the Greyhounds in a five-set win over the Panthers. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

It's the seventh time the Greyhounds (3-2 division, 17-5 overall) have been taken to five sets this season. They've won five of those matches.

Fort Scott was taken to five sets just once last season. In Lindsay Hill's first four seasons, the Greyhounds were 5-9 in matches that went five, so while this year's team has gone the distance more, they're also winning more often.

Neosho County (2-4, 14-8) won the first set essentially on two short bursts. The Panthers went up 12-8 following a 6-1 run and maintained a lead of roughly 4 points until they were up 21-16.

Brandi Huesman's kill got serve back for the Greyhounds and started a short run that got the 'Hounds within 2 points, 21-19, before Neosho scored 4 of the last 5.

The Panthers jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the second set but the Greyhounds went on a 6-1 run to tie it. They scored 6 straight later to go up 18-12 on the last of three straight kills by Brette Moore.

Fort Scott never trailed in that set again and Moore's kill closed out the set.

The 'Hounds went out to a 6-3 lead in the third set but Neosho County fought back to go up 13-11.

Down 19-16, Huesman got a kill to spark a set-ending 9-1 run. Another Huesman kill made it 21-19 before an error gave serve back to Neosho County. Brianna Bogan got it right back with a kill and Moore scored the next two points. The last point came when Neosho County's Kaelyn Yeoman was whistled for stepping over the mid-court stripe.

The fourth set was the most exciting and/or harrowing, depending on one's point of view. Neither side scored more than 3 points in a row. But Neosho County was able to string together a 5-1 run to make it 20-16.

Fort Scott fought back and tied the set 22-22 on a Neosho error. The Panthers scored the next two. Moore got a kill to bring the 'Hounds within 24-23 but Neosho County ended that set with a kill.

That brought up the fifth set. In college volleyball, the fifth set is won by the first team to get to 15 points rather than 25 and the teams switch sides once one of them gets to 8.

Fort Scott scored the first 4 points. Bogan and Moore both got blocks. Then Moore and Huesman picked up kills. Neosho scored the next 2 but Stringer got a kill to get the serve back.

A Neosho County error scored Fort Scott's eighth point and the teams switched sides. When play resulted, the teams swapped the serve for the next 7 points, which left the 'Hounds ahead 11-8.

A Neosho County error returned the serve to Fort Scott, which was never relinquished. Mickey Trimble served an ace. Then Moore got another kill. Then Neosho County retuned a ball too long and over the back line to give the set to the 'Hounds.

Moore led with 17 kills while Huesman and Bogan had 12 each and Stringer finished with 11. Trimble handed out 51 assists. Huesman and Emily Bruce each had 12 digs and Stringer had 11.

Fort Scott will stay at home on Wednesday night for a match with Hesston at 6:30. This is not a conference match but it will count toward post-season tournament seeding as Hesston is a Division II independent.

NOTES -- Information about Samaritan's Feet can be found at www.samaritansfeet.org. ...

Former Chanute High volleyball star Asya Herron coaches Neosho County -- she is in her eighth season. Her assistant is Marisa (Jordan) Compton, who played volleyball and basketball at Fort Scott High School before moving to Michigan before her senior year....