Boyceville volleyball wins 5-set thriller over Elk Mound to open D-SC conference play
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DELANEY OLSON is shown receiving the volleyball during the Dunn-St. Croix Conference opener in Boyceville September 19. The Bulldogs defeated Elk Mound in five sets. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
Although the Bulldog volleyball team won just one match during their busy schedule last week, that one victory was huge.
Boyceville headed into last Thursday’s Dunn-St. Croix Conference opener at home against Elk Mound on the heels of a disappointing non-conference loss to Pepin/Alma on its home court just two days prior.
But, there appeared to be no linger effects from that lack-luster performance as Boyceville was charged to host and play perennial power Elk Mound, who is playing its final season in the Dunn-St. Croix before moving into the Cloverbelt next year.
The upstart Bulldogs were tenacious throughout the September 19 match, eventually pulling off the upset in five sets for its first victory over the Mounders in eight years.
Unfortunately, the momentum from that momentous victory did not last long as Boyceville dropped all three of its matches at the Owen-Withee quad which was held two days later.
The Bulldogs, 1-0 in league play and 5-10 overall, had just one match this week, a conference showdown in Elmwood Tuesday night, September 24 versus the Wolves of Elmwood-Plum City. Boyceville will travel to Glenwood City next Tuesday, October 1 to face the rival Hilltoppers.
Pepin/Alma
Although the September 17 competition against the visiting Pepin/Alma Eagles was close throughout, Boyceville never really got on track and lost the match, three sets to one.
The Eagles grabbed an early two to nothing advantage with consecutive 25-21 victories in the first two sets. The Bulldogs bounced back for their own 25-21 win in the third frame but the Eagles took set four and subsequently the match with a 25-20 win.
BOYCEVILLE sophomore Aubrey Malean (#9) tipped this shot past an Elk Mound defender during a home volleyball game against Elk Mound September 19. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
Boyceville did put up some solid numbers in the contest as it finished with 34 kills, 31 assists, seven service aces and an impressive 81 defensive digs.
Individually, Zoey Hellendrung and Aubrey Malean topped the charts in kills with nine apiece with Delaney Olson adding seven. Olson and Gretta Guy led the team in assists with 15 and 13, respectively. Emma Harvey and Lucy Wheeldon each had a pair of ace serves. Olson also led in digs with 22, Malean added 19, Mercedes Barstad had 17, Guy ten and Hellendrung eight.
Elk Mound
Heading into last Thursday’s, Dunn-St. Croix Conference opener in Boyceville, Elk Mound was looking to continue its recent dominance over Boyceville.
The Bulldogs, however, had other ideas as they won a 5-set thriller, three sets to two, and claimed their first match win versus the Mounders since the 2016 season.
With the exception of the fourth set which Elk Mound won handily, the other four sets in the September 19 showdown were highly competitive.
The Mounders started with a 25-19 win in set one. The Bulldogs rebounded to win the next two by scores of 25-22 and 26-24 to take a two sets to one lead.
Elk Mound evened the match and forced a fifth and final set with a dominating 25-7 victory in the fourth game.
The Mounders took an early advantage in the final set, but to their credit, the Bulldogs were able rally for a 7-7 tie. From there the teams went back and forth until the Bulldogs were able to get a two-point lead at 12-10 and then went on to claim a 15-12 win to take the match.
Unfortunately, neither team nor individual statistics from the match were available prior to this week’s publication deadline.
Owen-Withee Quad
The Bulldogs were unable to build upon their big home victory over Elk Mound when they traveled to Owen-Withee for a quad meet on Saturday, September 21.
Boyceville lost all three of its matches in the quad.
The Bulldogs lost in two sets to Auburndale and host Owen-Withee and fell in three sets to Phillips.
No scores or statistics from any of the matches were reported to the Tribune or posted online.