SIOUX FALLS The Huron Tigers felt good coming off two big wins last week, but the Sioux Falls Washington Warriors played the Tigers to an exhausting three-set sweep Tuesday in Sioux Falls.
Washington won with set scores of 26-24, 26-24 and 25-22.
The Warriors jumped out quickly behind strong hitting, with the Tigers quickly falling behind 4-0, but Addyson Knight got the first kill for the Tigers with a tip over the blockers. A few points later, a Knight ace would knot the set, 5-5.
The teams then went back and forth until the Warriors used the strong hitting of Dana Harpe to spark a 4-0 run and draw a Huron timeout with the score 12-7.
The teams again exchanged points until a Chloe Peterson kill made it 14-9 Washington. The Tigers were able to quickly rattle off three points and get within two, but three straight Washington kills pushed the lead back out to 17-12.
After a kill by Arian Pfitzer for Huron, Harpe and Abrielle Perry nailed kills to push Washington to their biggest lead, 19-13, and draw Hurons second timeout.
Huron would get a kill from Knight out of the break, and after a pair of Warrior hitting errors, Aly Davis went crosscourt for a kill to bring the Tigers within two at 19-17.
Harpe would end the Tiger run with a kill, but then three straight Washington errors would get Huron within one at 21-20, drawing a timeout from Washington.
A hitting error by the Warriors tied the score and the teams went back and forth. A kill by Davis gave Huron set point at 24-23, but a hitting error knotted the score and Washington quickly put down two strong kills to take the first set, 26-24.
Huron struggled out of the gate again in the second set, falling behind 3-1. Huron worked back within one at 7-6, but then Jersey Peterson nailed a kill and Harpe dropped in three consecutive service aces to push the Warrior lead out to 11-6.
The Warriors kept Huron at arms length until it was 14-9, and Huron went on a 5-1 run to get within 15-14. A few plays later, a Kya Tschetter ace tied the game at 17.
The two teams went back and forth, and an ace from Hylton Heinz gave Huron the lead at 21-20. Knight and Harpe went back and forth hitting, but a hitting error by the Tigers gave Washington set point, and Jade Jere, a transfer to Washington from Yankton this season, slammed down the set winner to give Washington two 26-24 victories.
Huron finally started strong in the third set, with Knight opening the set with a kill. After a very long volley, Davis knocked down the kill to make it 6-3 Huron.
A Jere kill and an ace from Hannah Nesdahl brought Washington into a 7-7 tie, but Davis was able to get a kill, drop in a service ace, and Knight had a block/kill.
The Warriors used a diverse hitting attack to go on a 6-2 run to take a 13-12 lead, their first lead of the set.
Huron got a pair of kills, but a Harpe kill and a pair of aces from Meagan McCloskey pushed the Warrior lead to 16-14 and drew a timeout from Huron coach Josh Lien.
After a service error by Washington, a pair of Davis kills gave Huron back the lead at 17-16, but that was the last lead that Huron would hold on the night. The teams traded points, but a Huron hitting error and another service ace from Nesdahl gave Washington a 22-20 lead. Harpe would beat the Huron block on set point to give Washington a 25-22 set win and the match sweep.
Washington moves to 7-3 behind 11 kills and three aces from Harpe. Nesdahl finished with three aces as well.
Perry added 10 kills, and Jere had eight kills.
Huron falls to 4-8 despite strong nights from Davis and Knight. Davis had 11 kills and an ace, while Knight put down nine kills, four on blocks, with an ace.
The hitting really wasnt the issue on the night, according to Coach Lien.
Our hitters stayed very well in the game, he said. We didnt win the serve-and-pass battle like we needed to.
Lien continued, Washington beat us up a bit on the serve, and I wasnt prepared for that. They played better out of system than we did tonight, and that was the difference.
Washington took the JV match by scores of 26-24, 15-25 and 16-14.
Huron will host Sioux Falls Lincoln on Thursday.
Leave a Reply