SIOUX FALLS The third-seeded Hitchcock-Tulare Lady Patriots needed five sets, but pulled out the first-round victory Thursday night over the Gayville-Volin Raiders three sets to two at the Class B State Volleyball Tournament at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
Set scores for Hitchcock-Tulare, now 32-2, were 18-25, 25-13, 25-21, 23-25, and 15-7.
The first set for the Lady Patriots was plagued with hitting errors, as the team totaled 11 hitting errors in the first set with Gayville-Volin sophomore hitter Maia Achen dominating play. Achens sixth kill of the set made it 21-11, but Hitchcock-Tulare did fire back, closing to 24-18 on Katelyn Schroeders seventh kill of the first set before a service error ended the match 25-18 for the Raiders.
The Lady Pats came out in the second set looking completely different, passing well and spreading the ball around. Hitchcock-Tulare jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and never looked back. A pair of kills from senior outside hitter Ella Johnson closed out a 25-13 victory and tied the match at one set apiece.
The third set went back and forth early before the Lady Patriots went on a run to claim a 12-8 lead, drawing a timeout from the Raiders.
Hitchcock-Tulare pushed the lead out to 17-11 before the Raiders began chipping away. Achen, who had been quiet much of the third set nailed a kill to make it 21-18 HT and draw a timeout from the Lady Patriots, and then out of the timeout, she nailed three more kills to get Gayville-Volin within 23-21, but the Lady Patriots were able to close out the 25-21 victory and take a two sets to one lead.
Much like the second set, Hitchcock-Tulare came out of the gate in the fourth set in system and hitting well, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. However, the Raiders fought back hard. A strange turn of events changed what should have been a 10-10 tie and a timeout by Hitchcock-Tulare into an 11-9 Lady Patriot lead when it was discovered that the Raiders scored three points with a server who was out of turn.
The Lady Patriots responded well after the stop of play, pushing the lead to 17-11 on an Isabel Gilbert block/kill. Achen took over after a Raider timeout and quickly the Raiders were back within 18-15.
The two teams exchanged points to 23-19, when the Raiders called another timeout. The Lady Patriots simply could not get their passing in system out of the timeout, and three hitting errors and a pair of Achen kills were part of a 6-0 Gayville-Volin run to steal the fourth set 25-23 and force a tie-breaking fifth set.
Hitchcock-Tulare arguably played its best volleyball in the fifth set. While Schroeder led the attack with four kills in the set, six different Lady Patriots recorded a kill in the fifth set as Hitchcock-Tulare coasted to a 15-7 set win and the match victory.
Hitchcock-Tulare was led by Katelyn Schroeder with 27 kills, 23 digs, and a service ace. Lila Jo Johnson set up the Patriot offense with 32 assists and had three service aces and 23 digs.
Cambree Hoekman led the defense with 28 digs. Ella Johnson had a pair of service aces, and Isabel Gilbert (seven block assists) and Cora Hofer (1 solo block, five block assists) had big games at the net.
The Raiders fall to 29-5. Achen had 22 kills and 15 digs. Britton Scheetz had an excellent night serving for Gayville-Volin, with five aces, and she also had 44 assists.
Paisley Dimmer and Kayden Bye each had 11 kills. Taylor Hoxeng led the Raider defense with 22 digs and Jolie Westrum added 21.
The Lady Patriots advance to play fellow Region 1B foe Warner tonight in the semifinals. The two teams hooked up for a five-set thriller at Warner on Oct. 8, with the Monarchs coming out with the five-set win.
Gayville-Volin will seek their 30th win of the season in the consolation semifinals this afternoon.
Leave a Reply