Third-set rally sends H-M-S to win over Generals
Serving woes prove crucial in loss to rated Jays
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Strong net play and a late rally in the third set propelled Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn past Sibley-Ocheyedan, 3-1, in non-conference volleyball action Sept. 8 at Sibley. Set scores in favor of H-M-S were 25-22, 17-25, 25-21 and 25-17.
"We played very well. It was a fun night," said Hawk coach Cheryl Kroese.
The teams traded leads throughout the first set, which H-M-S claimed by scoring the final four points. The Generals led during most of the second set to even the match.
A pivotal point was the Hawks' rally in the third set. They led early but the Generals eventually pulled out to a 21-14 advantage. A pair of kills and an ace serve sparked an 11-point run that gave H-M-S the win. An early six-point lead in the final set helped the Hawks clinch the victory.
"That gave us the momentum going into final game," Kroese said of the third-set victory.
The Hawks were especially strong at the net, where they finished with 126 attacks and 41 kills. S-O recorded 95 attacks and 27 kills.
"Forty-one kills is a big number for us. That was impressive," Kroese noted.
Jasmine Lux was "on fire" in the match, recording 16 kills and two block assists. Ava Reitsma finished with nine kills and two block assists; Darby Mastbergen had six kills; and Elise Haack and Taya Mason each had four.
Mason finished with 25 set assists and Kaley Pearson had four.
Leaders in digs were Jessica Riedemann with 21, Mastbergen with 14, Mason with nine, Grace Dalen with eight, and Haack and Reitsma with seven each.
Kroese was pleased with the Hawks' serving, which was led by Reitsma who was 20-of-20. Riedemann was 22-of-26 with three aces, Mason was 12-of-12 with two aces, and Abby Kunzman was 13-of-14.
• vs. Gehlen Catholic
The Hawks' 75 percent serving efficiency wasn't good enough against rated Gehlen Catholic during a 3-0 loss on Sept. 10 at LeMars.
H-M-S was only successful on 33-of-44 serve attempts against the Jays (1A No. 8) in the 12-25, 13-25, 17-25 loss. That proved to be especially crucial in the final set which was competitive except for missed scoring opportunities.
"Serving was our arch nemesis. If you miss six or seven serves, you can't stay in the game," Kroese acknowledged. "The girls worked really hard, but we couldn't get the serves in. The other aspects were not that bad."
Hawks with the best serving nights were Mastbergen, 9-of-10; Lux, 6-of-6; Kunzman, 4-of-4; Mason, 5-of-7; and Riedemann, 4-of-6.
Lux and Reitsma led H-M-S at the net with five kills and two block assists each. Olivia Grooters also had two block assists. Mason put up nine set assists.
Riedemann led the back row with 14 digs while Haack added four.
The Hawks (2-5, 0-3) do not return to action until their home invitational on Saturday, Sept. 26.
