Elk Mound volleyball makes season debut at Menomonie Sprawl Invite
By Cara L. Dempski
MENOMONIE — Sam Stelter’s Elk Mound volleyball squad kicked off its 2017 season at UW-Stout’s Johnson Fieldhouse last Friday and Saturday as participants in the Menomonie Sprawl.
While initial results indicate the Mounders came out of the first day winless, they did not go down without a fight.
Results for the Mounders’ first three matches on Friday were available prior to press time, but no information regarding the final August 25 match or the Saturday games was available.
The Mounders took on the Menomonie Mustangs in their first match of the Sprawl, taking a 25-19 loss in the first game before winning by the same margin in the second to force a third set. The Mustangs bested Elk Mound in the third game, 15-10.
Senior Kourtney Zurbuchen led the EM attack squad in the match, reeling in five kills against Menomonie. Madysen Borofka helped set up 19 scoring opportunities, and Kortnee Halgren led the match with three service aces.
Allie Weber dominated the back row with nine digs, and Morgan Radtke logged a single solo block.
Elk Mound then faced off with River Valley High School, taking the first set 26-24 before dropping the second 25-22 and third 15-6. Radtke came alive in the match against River Falls, slamming home 13 kill shots as the Mounders’ attack leader.
Borofka picked up another 19 assists in the game and led the defense with eight digs, Hailey Blaskowski led the Mounders with three aces, and Weber picked up a pair of solo blocks in the game.
The Mounders struggled in the first set of their match against Osceola, losing 25-14 before picking up their pace in the second and dropping that one by only 25-23. Zurbuchen asserted her dominance as an attacker again against the Chieftains, recording nine kills. Borofka put up only 12 assists in the game, Radtke is credited with the team’s lone ace, and Weber took eight digs.
Elk Mound hosted a quad August 29, and will be off until September 7 when they host another quad.