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(KMAland) — Last week, KMA Sports highlighted five Names to Know for the fall sports season. This week, we have another five.
One of the area’s best returning setters is Underwood senior Peyton Cook, who averaged 9.0 assists per set while being named the KMA Sports WIC Setter of the Year.
“Coach Paula (Carman) has really been pushing me to start jump-setting every ball,” Cook told KMA Sports. “Getting my feet quicker to the ball, so we can run a quicker offense and run smoother on our side.”
Cook is one of a three-headed senior monster – outsides Zoe Rus and Macy VanFossan are the others – that highlights this year’s Eagles team. They advanced all the way to a regional final last season and pushed that match to a fifth set before falling short.
“We know we have to keep working hard,” Cook said. “We can’t rest on our laurels from last year. We have to keep working harder to make that final push and get to the state tournament.’
One thing Underwood female athletics knows about lately is advancing to state. Many of the volleyball athletes were on the Eagles’ state softball team from this past summer.
“Softball is definitely something that snuck up on us,” Cook said. “No one was really expecting us to make it that far, and the feeling we all had is something we hope to do again this year in volleyball.”
As Cook enters her senior year, she is mostly focused on winning a Western Iowa Conference championship and leading her team to Cedar Rapids. However, there’s also the notion of her future in the sport.
“I’ve definitely been contacted by a few schools,” she said. “My parents and Coach Paula have been really pushing me to get myself out there with a few films and visits. It’s something I’ve definitely been thinking about for a long time, but I haven’t really figured out what school or division would best suit me.”
For now, Cook will maintain her focus on this year’s Underwood team. Along with Rus and VanFossan, they’ve long been dreaming of making a deep run.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 10 years old,” Cook said. “We’ve played a lot of volleyball together. That really helps with our relationship on and off the court. We know each other inside and outside of the game.”
Underwood opens the season on Saturday at the Glenwood Tournament. Listen to the complete interview with Cook below.
PREVIOUS NAMES TO KNOW
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