Vikings beat Wolverines; drop match to Tigers
After a weekend tournament in which the AHSTW Vikings volleyball team took just one of six, they returned to action Monday at home for a triangular which also featured the Nodaway Valley Wolverines and Griswold Tigers.
During their match with Nodaway Valley, the Vikings made quick work of them taking the first two sets by scores of 25-6 and 25-8.
“It felt good to get another win,” said Viking Head Coach Kelsey Fraher. “I know the girls really needed it, as well. However, despite our record, I have seen a lot of positives things out of our young squad.”
Fraher was proud of the way her defense for preventing more points from the Wolverines, which included a block each from Seniors Loralei Wahling and Sienna Christian.
Sophomore Kendra Hansen also came away with nine assists during their matches against the Wolverines, and currently leads the team with 87 on the season.
“Kendra is one of the hardest workers on the court,” Fraher said. “She does a great job of getting to the ball and giving our hitters something to work with. I thought our passers did a great job of giving her good passes to work with.”
The path to a potential victory against the Tigers was not so easy, as the Tigers managed to earn two wins against the Vikings (25-18 and 25-19), after coming away with two quick wins against the Wolverines.
During set one against the Tigers, Fraher pulled the team together during a timeout when trailing 18-13.
“I just gave them a reminder to play our game,” she said. “We got away from the way we want to play with effort and energy, so it was just a quick reminder to play AHSTW volleyball.”
Following Fraher’s timeout, the Tigers wrapped up set one going on a 7-5 run. During set two, the Tigers got off to a strong start once again going up 11-7 at one point. The Vikings managed to claw their way back into the game, but still lost for their sixth loss of the season.
“Even though our record doesn't show it, we have really played some competitive ball so far this season,” Fraher said. “I attribute that to their effort and attitude. The girls have worked hard on staying positive and giving 100% effort at all times.”
The Vikings will have some time off before their next match Sept. 12 at home against the 6-0 Riverside Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are led by Junior Bentley Rone with 51 assists, Senior Elly Henderson with 40 kills, Sophomore Lilli Reed with seven blocks, Senior Ayla Richardson with 30 digs, and Sophomore Sophia Fenner with 11 serve aces.
“Riverside is a great team,” Fraher added. “They do the little things right, they have great hitters who move the ball around and they are scrappy defensively. We know we have to limit our errors, be aggressive and work to find the holes in their defense. We are looking forward to the challenge.”