Lady Bulldogs spikers split with E/PC Wolves
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HIGH HIT — Boyceville senior Chrissa Kersten leaped high to hit this shot over a block attempt by a pair of Elmwood/Plum City defenders during a Dunn-St. Croix volleyball match in Boyceville on Tuesday, October 6. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
By Missy Klatt
Sports Correspondent
The Lady Bulldogs’ volleyball players started this past week on a high note when they won their first match of the season against the Wolves of Elmwood/Plum City on Tuesday, October 6th at home. Unfortunately, on Thursday in Plum City they came up on the losing end.
Tuesday
“We came out with fire, tonight. The girls knew exactly what needed to get done and had it happen,” boasted head Bulldogs’ Coach Kasey Lane after their win on Tuesday. The Bulldogs took the first two sets with the scores of 25-15 and 25-21 respectively.
Lane admitted, “We had a hiccup in game three where we went back on our heels and played content.” The Bulldogs lost the third set 14-25.
Set four was perhaps the most exciting of the match as the Bulldogs worked their way back from an eight-point deficit to win the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Lane praised her middles and right sides stating that they did an extremely great job containing their outsides.
“We had blocks and we also had some touches to help the defense get to the ball. Very proud of everyone tonight, always good to get a W.”
For the match, Kady Grambow and Ella Holden led the offense with eleven and ten kills respectively. Ava Olson was the set assist leader with fourteen followed by Chesney Leslie with ten.
Defensively, Chrissa Kersten dug up 27 balls with Grambow adding 21 digs and Holden chalking up 20 digs. At the net, it was Libby Bygd with two solo assists and one block assist. Leslie had one solo block to end the fourth set.
Thursday
Unfortunately, things did not start well on the road Thursday against the Wolves when the Bulldogs dropped their first set 11-25.
They fought back and eeked out the win in the second set, 26-24 before faltering in the third and fourth sets, 13-25 and 15-25.
Coach Lane recapped the evening, “After coming off a W on Tuesday, I had high expectations for tonight. We struggled in every aspect tonight. They out played, hustled and had confidence all night. We would dig ourselves holes right in the beginning of the sets with getting down five to six points. We were unable to get ourselves out of the holes throughout the night.”
GETTING DOWN LOW to received this serve was Bulldogs’ senior Libby Bygd during a home volleyball match against Elmwood/Plum City last Tuesday, October 6. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
“If you don’t learn something from each game then we aren’t doing it right,” continued Coach Lane. “Tonight the girls learned the importance of communication and pride. We did not possess these tonight and they found out the hard way what happens when we don’t have them. Props to our setters tonight for being scrappy and running around for our passes. Some nights are harder than others but tonight was a night where we never knew where our passes were going to go.”
For the night, Ella Holden led in kills with nine followed by Kady Grambow and Chrissa Kersten with eight each. Chesney Leslie and Ava Olson each had eleven assists.
In the back court, it was Holden and Kersten leading the defense with 23 and 19 digs. At the net it was Grambow with one solo and two assisted blocks. Libby Bygd added one solo and two assisted blocks.
The Bulldogs took on local rivals, the Glenwood City Hilltoppers, on Tuesday, October 13th and will travel down Route 170 tomorrow (Thursday, October 15) to play in Glenwood City. The Hilltoppers are leading the Dunn-St. Croix at 6-1 following last week’s split with Elk Mound while the Bulldogs enter the match-ups at 1-5.
Boyceville is slated to begin the WIAA tournament next Tuesday, October 20. The Bulldogs are part of a 5-team regional grouping that also includes Clear Lake, Colfax, Glenwood City and Spring Valley. Winners will advance to the regional semifinals on Thursday, October 29 with the finals to be held on Saturday, October 31.