Vikings advance; Wolves eliminated

Volleyball playoffs got underway Monday in Avoca as the AHSTW Vikings and the IKM-Manning Wolves battled each other in a winner-take-all game. The Vikings got the best of the Wolves winning three of four sets.

The Wolves finished 2-23 on the season, but head coach McKaylie Croghan was still proud of how they battled all season long.

“I just told them how I was proud of how they didn’t give up during the game,” Croghan said.

The Wolves were led throughout the night by Senior Amber Halbur with 19 assists and Freshman Anna Stangl with 19 digs. Others continued to play strong and grow all season, as well.

“Some of the girls really grew as volleyball players and I really saw some of them grow in a leadership role as well,” Croghan added.

On the other side, the Vikings had players step up during their sets as one individual achieved a milestone in digs. Senior Grace Porter got her 1,000th career dig.

“Grace has really stepped up for us this year,” said Vikings Head Coach Kelsey Muxfeldt. “She is all over the court and gives 110% effort on every play. For only playing varsity for three years, this is a huge milestone for her to reach. It speaks to her work ethic and her ability to know and analyze the game as she is playing.”

While Porter had a strong night, Muxfeldt acknowledged others for their efforts against the Wolves.

“Saydi Paulsen really stepped up in the front row for us and found the open spots on the other side of the court,” she said. “Delaney [Goshorn] and Maegan [Akers] did a good job of getting touches at the net to help our defense keep balls alive.”

The Vikings next opponent will be in Missouri Valley vs. the Lady Reds on the road in the Class 2A Region 3 Quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

“Missouri Valley is a well-balanced team,” Muxfeldt added. “They have a lot of girls who can terminate points, and they don’t let a lot of things drop on their side of the net. We are going to have to get hands on a lot of balls to slow their offense down and give our defense a chance. We also need to be aggressive offensively and serving to try and keep them out of system.”

 
 

 

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