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Northwestern defeated Mitchell 25-15, 25-7 on Saturday, Aug. 30 in Huron to give head coach Nora Groft her 700th career win. Courtesy photo.
Northwestern went 3-1 against Class AA competition last weekend to give head coach Nora Groft her 700th career victory.
The Wildcats downed Sturgis 25-21, 25-10; Brookings 25-13, 22-25, 26-24; and Mitchell 25-15, 25-7 on Saturday, Aug. 30 in Huron.
Groft’s 700th victory was a decisive one against Mitchell. Ashley Haven led the way with 12 kills and was 29 of 30 on the attack. She also led Northwestern in blocks. Lila Johnson was 14 of 15 serving with four aces and added nine digs. Ella Boekelheide converted 45 of 46 set attempts and finished with 19 assists.
Brandon Valley upended the Wildcats 25-19, 25-23 Saturday. Northwestern is now 5-1 on the season.
Warner opens season with convincing win over Aberdeen Christian
Aberdeen Christian head volleyball coach Sally Gaul knew her first match on the sidelines for the Knights wasn’t going to be easy.
Aberdeen Christian head coach Sally Gaul encourages her team during the second set against Warner on Thursday, Aug. 28 at the Christian Gym. Aberdeen Insider photo by Allie Hoekman.
That proved to be the case as Christian fell to perennial Class B power Warner 25-14, 25-13, 25-13 in high school volleyball action on Thursday, Aug. 28 at the Aberdeen Christian Gym.
“It’s super fun that we got to start with a fresh slate this year,” said the Knights’ new head coach. “It wasn’t the outcome we hoped for, but now we know what we need to work on. Warner is a very good team and they picked us apart. We’re just going to have to get back into the gym and get back to work.”
Monarch head coach Kari Jung said there are always some first-match jitters, but thought Warner’s defense couldn’t be much better.
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“I really liked how the girls played on defense tonight. With opening night, you always worry about consistency, and we’ve got a lot of players in the lineup who haven’t had a lot of match time before this season. Our passing and serve receive was very good and, to their credit, we didn’t allow much from (Christian) offensively.”
Warner finished the match with 37 kills, going 80 of 98 on attack attempts. McKenna Leidholt led the way with 11 kills.
“Our attack game was pretty good. It really starts with that first pass to get the ball to our setters, and I thought that was the key for us. Tatum (Hanson) and Reagan (Wood) did a great job of mixing up where they were going to our hitters, and we put some good swings on the ball tonight,” Jung said.
Wood had 16 assists for the Monarchs with Hanson tallying 13.
Aberdeen Christian’s Sophia Eichler hits over the block attempt by Warner’s Mckenna Leidholt during the second set of their match Thursday, Aug. 28 at the Aberdeen Christian Gym. Warner won in straight sets. Aberdeen Insider photo by Allie Hoekman.
Jung said her team’s serving was another key to the win. Warner finished with eight aces.
Gaul said the Knights struggled receiving serves and with the gravity of opening the season against a team as good as Warner.
“I think maybe we freaked out a little bit tonight. First match, a packed gym and that may have affected how we played. I think one of the things we need to work on is our passing and learning our rotations. We didn’t do a good enough job getting in system,” she said.
Gaul said playing the Monarchs is a measuring stick for the rest of the season.
“I think our team chemistry will come together in the next couple of weeks,” she said. “I think this match definitely opened some of our players’ eyes, and they’re ready to get back in the gym.”
The Knights picked up their first victory of the season defeating Waverly-South Shore 25-10, 25-13, 25-8 on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Roncalli downs Miller, Redfield
Aberdeen Roncalli defeated Miller 22-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-19, 16-14 to earn an impressive victory on Tuesday, Sep. 2 at the Roncalli Gym.
Rylee Voeller paced the Cavaliers (2-1), finishing with 15 kills, 15 digs and seven aces.
Roncalli picked up its first win of the year against Redfield on Thursday, Aug. 28, but it wasn’t easy.
The Cavaliers won the first two sets and ground out a tough 25-12, 30-28, 23-25, 25-21 victory at the Roncalli Gym.
Cavalier head coach Leesa Ware was relieved following the match.
“I’ll tell you what, our girls are either trying to give me a heart attack or get me on blood pressure medication, one of the two,” she said, laughing.
The two-point marathon win in the second set is an example of how the Cavaliers can respond to adversity, Ware said.
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“We played very aggressively, but Redfield, to their credit, played the same, and I was getting pretty nervous when it got to 26-26,” she said. “I knew our girls had to dig deep and they did. Finishing a set off like that was huge, but it can also take a little out of you.”
Despite the win, Roncalli committed too many mistakes, Ware said.
“We had a lot of hitting errors tonight. Way too many, to be honest,” she said. “We talked about those errors in the locker room and also how we have to continue to carry that momentum from sets we closed out into the next (set). Yes, the second set tonight was a long one, but we need to keep (the momentum) and close out matches.”
Voeller led the Cavaliers with 18 of their 41 saves.
Volleyball scoreboard
Tuesday, Sept. 2
Groton Area def. Ipswich 25-15, 25-16, 26-24
Langford def. Leola/Frederick 25-27. 25-17, 16-25, 25-11, 15-12
Saturday, Aug. 30
Parkston tournament: Warner def. Kimball-White Lake 25-11, 25-14; Warner def. Hill City 25-16, 25-16; Warner def. Wagner 25-20, 25-23; Warner def. Parkston 25-17, 25-17 to win the championship.
Rapid City Stevens def. Aberdeen Central 23-25, 25-13, 26-28, 25-22, 15-10
Friday, Aug. 29
Aberdeen Central def. Rapid City Central 25-11, 19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-10
Thursday, Aug. 28
Ipswich def. Highmore-Harrold 25-14, 25-6, 25-21
Northwestern def. Wolsey-Wessington 25-19, 25-19, 25-14
