SIOUX FALLS — Without the services of one of its top players, Huron put up a valiant battle during the seventh-place game of the Class AA State Volleyball Tournament on Saturday morning.
Sioux Falls Roosevelt, which had lost to the Tigers during the regular season, recorded a 3-0 victory using set scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 25-19 to claim seventh place.
Throwing a big wrench into Huron’s plans of salvaging one victory during the three-day event was an injury to 5-foot-8 senior hitter Hollee Niehus just four points into the final match of her high school career.
With the score tied at 2-2, Niehus suffered what is believed to be a torn ACL, forcing Tigers into scramble mode to fill the major gap left in the lineup with her departure.
“Our kids handled the adversity and chaos well,” Huron coach Shelly Buddenhagen said. “When you lose your 20-kill hitter and one of your primary passers and defenders, things are going to tailspin a little bit.
“She was clobbering the ball in warm-ups and doing really well. We knew we were going to have some good looks for her and it was going to be a good night for Hollee and then that happens,” she said. “It just floors you, because now you are missing your 20 kills in the front row, along with its rhythm and timing, and then your back row player.”
The misfortune early in the match was just another obstacle added for the Tigers who had faced a string of them throughout the season-ending event up to that point.
“I knew they were tough, getting to the state tournament and to battle the way we did against Watertown. This team is a good team,” Buddenhagen said. “But I didn’t know how tough we were. We showed toughness, we had a chance to go up 24-23 with the serve and we just missed that swipe by an inch and that was the theme of this tournament for us “A tournament of inches.”
In an effort to regroup in quick fashion, Buddenhagen threw a number of different combinations on the floor in attempt to fill Niehus’ shoes.
“We decided at that point we were going to throw this match into the senior’s hands and just let it ride,” she said.
Thrust into some unexpected action for Huron were seniors Melissa Berg and Madison Pfitzer, along with sophomore Karlie Bigelow and freshman Jazz McGirr.
“Those seniors have paid their dues and they wanted to play for Hollee,” Buddenhagen said. “We had a lot of kids contribute today, and we got a good look on how it is going to be next year.”
Roosevelt capitalized on the slight confusion on Huron’s side of the net and recorded its biggest set win of seven points in the opening set.
The Tigers, who trailed the entire first set after the 2-2 deadlock, regrouped a bit and held a lead through the early stages of the second set.
The Rough Riders battled back from an 11-8 deficit to take a 16-15 advantage. Roosevelt’s biggest lead in the second set was just three points at 23-20, but it was unable to put the set in the books without a fight.
A kill by freshman Emily Dale, followed by an ace serve from senior Kylie Overbay and a quick-set kill by junior Alaina Dale pulled Huron even at 23-23.
A spike that sailed mere inches past the end line ended the run for the Tigers and the Rough Riders to a 2-0 lead in the match with a block kill on the next point for a 25-23 decision in the set.
“You have to give Tenley (Buddenhagen), Havyn (Heinz) and Kylie a lot of credit,” Buddenhagen said. “They were pointing kids and telling them they should be here or there. They were making plays up on the fly.”
Huron was able to say close during the early stages of the third set with the help of some of its younger players. McGirr inked an ace to pull the Tigers even at 7-7.
The Rough Riders would open another 3-point advantage moments later, but the Tigers would go away. A blocked kill by Alaina Dale founded by a kill from Libby Rounds helped Huron to pull even once again at 12-12.
Roosevelt would respond with five unanswered points to its biggest lead of the set at 17-12, but the Tigers weren’t done yet. Aided by three consecutive kills by sophomore Brooke Schiltz, Huron put together a 5-0 run of its own to pull even for the final time at 17-17.
The Rough Riders would score eight of the final 10 points to win the set 25-19 and the match at 3-0.
“It is not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. This state tournament I think we lived that,” Buddenhagen said of her team. “I’m walking away in awe of this team and what they were able to accomplish this entire tournament. There wasn’t a debacle, we didn’t lay an egg and we competed hard to the last ball.
