Fatima answered a difficult start to the week with consecutive victories over Eugene and Owensville, showing the resilience coach Ellie Crede has been looking for as the season progresses.

“This week was a good opportunity for our team to continue growing and show some resilience,” Crede said. “We started the week with a tough loss to Southern Boone, but I was proud of how the girls responded by coming back Tuesday and Wednesday with two wins.”

The Lady Comets opened the week Monday, Sept. 14, at Southern Boone, falling 25-12, 25-12, 20-25, 25-16.

Fatima struggled offensively against the Lady Eagles, finishing with 23 kills against 27 hitting errors. Gracie Dickneite led the Lady Comets with eight kills, while Fatima collected 60 digs defensively. Kaylee Berhorst led that effort with 15 digs, while two other Lady Comets finished with 13 apiece.

Fatima turned things around Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Eugene, sweeping the Lady Eagles 25-14, 25-16, 25-7.

Dickneite led the offense with 10 of Fatima’s 23 kills and was also a force at the net as the Lady Comets were credited with seven blocks. Fatima put considerable pressure on Eugene from the service line, finishing with 17 aces, and collected 44 digs.

The most dramatic match of the week came Wednesday when Fatima hosted Owensville and needed all five sets to secure a 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 19-25, 15-11 victory.

“The Owensville match was a great example of our team continuing to battle and find ways to win when things don’t go exactly as planned,” Crede said. “After taking the first two sets, we had to fight through two close sets that went the other direction before regrouping and finishing strong in the fifth.”

Fatima produced 46 kills in the win and was credited with 94 digs and 16 aces. Berhorst had 20 digs as the Lady Comets improved to 9-7.

“Overall, I was pleased with the way we competed this week and the continued progress the girls show,” Crede said. “I think these matches are helping us build confidence and learn how to handle different situations as we continue through the season.”

The Owensville match also provided an opportunity to recognize a pair of career milestones. Leah Muenks and Berhorst each surpassed 500 career digs during the week and were recognized Wednesday.

Fatima also entered the week with several players appearing among the Class 2 leaders on MaxPreps. Dickneite was listed fifth in Class 2 with 29 blocks, Berhorst was third with 176 digs, and Muenks was 24th with 24 aces. Crede noted those rankings had not yet been updated with the latest week’s statistics and were subject to change.

Fatima’s JV enjoyed an unbeaten stretch of its own.

The JV Lady Comets swept Southern Boone 25-19, 26-24 on Monday. After Fatima took the opening set, Southern Boone led much of the second before the Lady Comets pulled even late and finished the match.

Fatima followed with a dominant 25-9, 25-5 sweep at Eugene on Tuesday, then defeated Owensville 25-17, 25-5 on Wednesday. The opener against Owensville was competitive early before Fatima gained control, and the Lady Comets cruised through the second set.

“Our six freshmen are improving each time they play, and some of them are learning to step into roles they are not used to,” JV coach Tracy Quinn said. “Our sophomores are turning into real leaders, and I am happy to say the team is gelling well and the players are very supportive of each other. It is a super fun team to coach.”

Fatima’s C team split its two sets against Southern Boone, dropping the opener 25-12 before responding with a 25-20 victory.

Camille Dickneite had six kills, two aces, and four digs; Alayna Royston added four kills, and Brooklynn Otto recorded 13 assists and seven digs. The team report noted that Fatima spent much of the opening set on defense and struggled to generate pressure, but improved its passing considerably in the second set.

The C team also split with Owensville, winning 25-21 before falling 25-23.

Royston, Molly Struemph, and Chloe Brune recorded four kills apiece, with Brune adding two blocks. Otto finished with 16 assists. Kaylee Muenks had two aces and 10 digs, Camille Dickneite added two aces and nine digs, and Kinlee Perkins recorded 10 digs.