Game three falls short, volleyballers swept by Belle Plaine
October 23rd, 2008It was another close call against a good team for Sibley East’s volleyballers last Tuesday.
The Lady Wolverines, in a conference match at Gaylord, nearly upended perennial power Belle Plaine in game three but fell a few points shy of avoiding the sweep.
The Tigers, who finished second behind Jordan in the league standings, defeated the Wolverines 25-18, 25-10 and 26-24.
Belle Plaine opened the night with a 10-2 run on the Wolverines but the black and gold would battle back. After one rotation, Sibley East had trimmed the margin to 16-15. According to coach Wolverton, the Wolverine rally was sparked by the serving of senior Megan Meyer.
After taking a timeout, Belle Plaine would rattle off six straight points to regain control of the opening tilt. That would put the game out of reach, Wolverton explained.
It was a much better start for Sibley East in game two. The Wolverines traded points with the Tigers and, with Erin Evans at the service line, knotted the contest at 8-8.
But, Belle Plaine would again prove to be too much. Abby Wolpern sparked the Tigers down the stretch with 12 straight service points to end game two.
Wolverton said it looked like his team had solved Belle Plaine’s attack in game three. His squad limited Belle Plaine’s rallies but just couldn’t close out the Tigers.
More solid serving from Meyer powered the Wolverines to a 13-7 advantage in the third set. Sibley East would maintain a lead until Belle Plaine’s Chelsea Fogarty stepped to the service line. She served up three straight points giving the Tigers a 19-18 advantage.
Sibley East eventually regained the lead and was one point away from winning the game. But Fogarty and the Tigers preserved the sweep with a strong finish. Fogarty closed out the match with a thundering spike, according to Wolverton.
“It would have been good for our confidence to pull out the upset,” Wolverton said. “Our team realizes how close it is to the next level and seems prepared to do what it takes to make our season last as long as possible.”
Hailey Becker, Angie Johnson and Lindsay Thomes led Sibley East in the setback with six kills apiece. Becker also contributed three blocks.
Meyer finished the night 12 of 12 serving with one ace. The senior also charted a team high 13 digs. Evans meanwhile had nine digs and 13 set assists.
Sibley East finishes the regular season with an overall record of 15-11-1. The Lady Wolverines were 3-4 in conference play.
Post season play begins Thursday for Sibley East’s volleyballers.
