WATERTOWN — Two of the top teams in Class “AA” volleyball went toe-to-toe Thursday night, with the Watertown Arrows coming out on top of a 3-1 decision over the Huron Tigers.
Neither team held more than a five-point lead in any game in the tightly played match. Huron suffered its first loss of the season and falls to 5-1, while Watertown improved to 4-3. Set scores for the Arrows were 22-25, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-20.
Both teams returned deep and experienced lineups from state tournament teams last year. Watertown finished third at the “AA” and Huron took the consolation championship.
“I would rather have the win, obviously,” said Huron coach Shelly Buddenhagen after the tough match, “but I almost look at this as a win. We’re just really, really happy with how the girls went up against, what I feel is, one of the top teams in the state.”
The first set was a see-saw affair, which set the tone for the match, as Huron scored four straight points to open the match, keyed by Libby Rounds, only to see their hosts score five straight to take the lead.
The Tigers managed to push the lead out to four points on two other occasions, only to see the Arrows respond and retake the advantage.
Huron trailed 20-19 when Madison Pfitzer collected kills on back-to-back possessions to stake the Tigers to a lead they would not relinquish. A Watertown hitting error and Tenley Buddenhagen’s third ace of the set put Huron on the brink of the win and Hollee Niehus ended the first set with a kill for a 25-22 Tiger win.
The second set followed the same script, as neither team was able to build momentum. Huron held leads of 7-3 and 19-15, but Watertown clawed its way back into the game.
The Tigers led 21-18 when Sophie Tietz took over the game for the Arrows, scoring kills on four straight possessions and pushing Watertown to the 25-22 win.
Watertown kept rolling to open the third set, racing to a 5-1 lead before the Tigers rallied, eventually tying the score at 7-7. From that point, the teams traded the lead numerous times, with neither squad holding more than a two-point lead throughout, and Watertown holding the last lead and taking the 25-23 win.
“We didn’t control the tempo like we really wanted to do,” coach Buddenhagen noted. “We were ready for them to come out clobbering, but Watertown made good use of their tipping tonight and we weren’t prepared for that. That lack of preparedness falls on the coaches and I apologized to the kids.”
Watertown set the tone for the fourth set, taking an early 6-3 lead as Mariah Gloe garnered one of her 20 kills. Huron responded with another Niehus kill - she would end the game with 21 on the night - and then followed an Arrow hitting error with an ace serve to knot the score. The Tigers took their first lead of the set when Mikena Moore split the Watertown defense for a 15-14 lead, but the Arrows, behind the free-swinging Tietz, righted the ship and ran off four straight points, and while Niehus ignited a late Huron rally, Watertown held on for the 25-20 win that clinched the match as well.
Rounds had 10 kills on the night for the Tigers, while Moore and Madison Pfitzer each had six. Huron ended with 10 ace serves - Morgan Harrison, Alaina Dale and Niehus each had two to go with Buddenhagen’s trio of aces.
Huron will receive a brief rest after playing six games in six days. They are back in action Tuesday, when the Tigers travel to Sioux Falls O’Gorman before returning to Huron Arena to host Harrisburg.
“We competed very hard tonight,” Buddenhagen said in closing. “This was kind of a ‘grow up’ game for us. I think we found out that we may be better than we thought we were. If we play this hard and this well, I like our chances in most matches.”
Huron 25 22 23 20
Watertown 22 25 25 25
PHOTO BY NATHAN GIESE/WATERTOWN PUBLIC OPINION Watertown’s Mariah Gloe spikes the ball against Huron’s Alaina Dale during their match Thursday at the Watertown Civic Arena.
