Tigers record sweep against Brandon Valley

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HURON — The Huron Tiger volleyball team got back on the winning track Tuesday night, shutting out the Brandon Valley Lynx 3-0 in ESD volleyball action. Set scores for the Tigers were 25-21, 25-18 and 25-17.
Coming off back-to-back losses to Harrisburg and Yankton, and playing Tuesday without senior setter Jayda Shillingstad, as well as outside hitter Melissa Berg, the Tigers controlled the action throughout the night against the overpowered Lynx.
Huron improves to 7-5 with the win while Brandon Valley slips to 1-10 with the loss.
“It’s big having someone like Jayda out,” said coach Shelly Buddenhagen, “because she figures in almost everything we do offensively and on defense. We missed both Jayda and Melissa tonight but we had some other players who stepped up and took on additional responsibilities tonight.”
Huron jumped out quickly in the first game, scoring the first three points of the set on a pair of Lynx errors and a Kayla Schimke kill.
Huron maintained the lead in the early going, but the Lynx caught fire mid-set, knotting the score on an Avery Timmons kill.
But a kill from Carli Lentsch and another pair of Brandon Valley miscues put the Tigers up 19-16.
Timmons had an ace a short time later, which cut the lead to one, but Mikena Moore and Hollee Niehus put the game away down the stretch and Huron owned the 25-21 win.
Set two also saw the Tigers open a quick lead, behind a pair of ace serves from Isabell Ford, multiple kills from Niehus and a key block and kill from Lentsch put Huron ahead 11-4.
Just when it looked as if the Tigers were going to put set two to bed early, Brandon Valley came back. Timmons and Macyn Flanigan hit back-to-back kills to cut the lead to five at 13-8, but Huron hit the gas and pulled away.

Niehus had a pair of kills down the stretch - she ended the night with 21 kills - while Ford stroked another ace, Schimke pounded home another kill and Kylie Overbay converted an ace.
On a night when she would end up with five aces in the match, Ford fittingly ended the second set with an ace.
Ford picked up in set three where she left off, converting two early aces and staking Huron to a 4-1 lead.
Then Niehus took over the game.
The 5-foot, 8-inch junior hitter converted on four straight chances, to push Huron’s lead out to a 10-3 cushion. Again, Brandon Valley rallied as Timmons had back-to-back aces that got the Lynx within three points at 11-8, but Schimke got another kill and Alexis Urena hit one of her two aces on the night to re-establish the Tiger momentum.
Down the stretch, it was Niehus providing the fire power, as she took sets from both Overbay and Tenley Buddenhagen on the night as Huron took the set and the match.
“We had a lot of unselfish play here tonight,” coach Buddenhagen said. “I’m proud of our kids, the way they faced adversity here tonight and got the job done. We simplified things a bit for our younger players, and the others found a way to contribute to a big win for us. It was truly a team effort tonight.”
Huron was led by Niehus’ 21 kills and Ford’s five aces, but also got six kills each from Schimke and Moore, while Urena added two aces and Havyn Heinz controlled the back line from her libero position.
“Our back row did a great job tonight,” coach Buddenhagen added. “We did some changing around in the back and they did a good job of defending Brandon Valley tonight.”
Huron dives back into play on Thursday, when it hosts No. 2 ranked and once-beaten Mitchell in another ESD match at Huron Arena.

Brandon Valley    21 18 17
Huron              25 25 25

Photos:

Huron’s Carli Lentsch sets the ball during a match against Brandon Valley on Tuesday at Huron Arena.

Next, Huron’s Kayla Schimke passes the ball during a match against Brandon Valley on Tuesday at Huron Arena, as teammates Havyn Heinz, left, and Hollee Niehus look on.

And next, Huron’s Kylie Overbay sets the ball during Tuesday’s match.

Photos by Mike Carroll of the Plainsman