Fatima battled through adversity to collect a pair of varsity victories Sept. 21-22, while Leah Muenks reached the 100-career-ace milestone, and the JV and C teams also added wins.

The Lady Comets opened the stretch Sept. 21 at Montgomery County, dropping the first set 26-24 before responding with wins of 25-19, 25-18, and 26-24 to claim the match 3-1.

“This was a good week for our varsity team as we picked up wins over Montgomery County and Boonville,” said Coach Ellie Crede. “We had to battle through some adversity in both matches, and I was really proud of how the girls responded when things didn’t go our way.”

Emma Scheppers directed the offense against Montgomery County with 41 assists and also recorded 23 digs. Gracie Dickneite finished with 12 kills and five blocks, while Elizabeth Voss had eight kills with a .368 hitting percentage. Muenks added 16 digs and five aces.

“Against Montgomery County, we dropped the first set but were able to settle in, make some adjustments and win the next three,” said Crede.

Fatima faced another test on Sept. 22 against Boonville and again rallied after falling behind.

The Lady Comets lost the opener 25-23, answered with a 25-21 victory, and dropped a 28-26 third set before forcing a fifth with a convincing 25-13 win. Fatima finished the comeback 16-14 in the deciding set for a 3-2 victory.

Voss led the attack with 17 kills and added seven digs. Scheppers contributed 48 assists, 16 digs, five kills, and three aces, while Addison Lehmen had 18 digs and seven kills. Dickneite added seven kills and three blocks.

“We came back Tuesday against Boonville and had another competitive match, but the girls continued to fight and found a way to finish with the win,” said Crede.

The two victories continued what Crede sees as growing confidence within the group.

“Overall, I was really happy with the way the girls competed this week,” she said. “We are continuing to work through some inconsistencies, but I feel like we are becoming more confident in each other and doing a better job of staying together when things get tough. I’m proud of the growth I’m seeing from this group and look forward to continuing to build on it.”

Muenks also surpassed 100 career aces and was recognized during the Boonville match.

According to MaxPreps, Muenks is ranked 24th in Class 2 in season aces. Kaylee Berhorst has 228 digs and is ranked 26th statewide and sixth in Class 2, while Dickneite’s 46 blocks rank 13th in Missouri and fifth in Class 2.

Fatima’s JV also swept both matches during the two-day stretch.

The Lady Comets defeated Montgomery County 25-5, 25-12 on Sept. 21. Lexi Massman and Rilynn Wieberg led the attack with five kills apiece, followed by Cora Heckman with four. Lyla Riegel recorded 11 assists and three aces, while Bralynn Troesser led the defense with seven digs.

Fatima followed with a 25-10, 25-8 victory over Boonville on Sept. 22. Jayla Hoskins served seven aces, while Troesser collected nine digs. Hoskins, Heckman, Cecilia Kleffner, and Massman recorded three kills apiece.

The C team also swept Montgomery County 25-16, 25-13 on Sept. 21.

Alayna Royston led Fatima with seven kills, followed by Camille Dickneite with six. Brooklyn Otto handed out 12 assists and served four aces, while Kaylee Muenks led the back row with 11 digs.