Staff writer
The Marion High School volleyball team will take some momentum into the Heart of America league tournament Saturday, coming off convincing wins Oct. 2 at Moundridge against Canton-Galva and Berean Academy.
Marion head coach Deanna Thierolf said the girls came out with enthusiasm after having gone flat during their previous outing at Belle Plaine.
“The girls were playing with so much excitement.” Thierolf said. “We should have come out of Belle Plaine with two more wins. The girls on the whole came back and had a nice night. I think they went in with confidence knowing they were going to win.”
Marion had little difficulty dispatching Canton-Galva in two games. They won the first, 25-19, then crushed Canton-Galva, 25-13, in the second to win the match.
“We just dominated the net on them, and we threw them out of position,” Thierolf said.
Berean Academy has been a familiar opponent this season, and the teams battled through another seesaw match that Marion won, 2-1.
Marion controlled the first game, cruising to a 25-19 win. Berean took an early lead in the second game and easily subdued the Lady Warriors, 25-13.
“We started off poorly in the second game and dug ourselves a hole,” Thierolf said. But the coach kept the same winning attitude her team had and didn’t panic.
“I always felt good about it. I just thought ‘We need to get this game over with and start over,’” Thierolf said. “Don’t waste too much energy on this one and go get it on the next one. I knew they could. They were playing so well together.”
The Lady Warriors won the match with one of their best games of the season, 25-10, which included a devastating 9-point run off the serve of Kirsten Hansen.
“Kirsten had a great serving night. When you go up and score nine points, that switches the game around real fast,” Thierolf said. “The first and third games we played great. We were on every hit, we were on all the blocks, the digging was fabulous.”
Briana Hall led the offensive onslaught with 9 kills, Kaelyn Thierolf had 6, and Montana Percell had 5.
“Briana had a very impressive night blocking and hitting and dominating the net. Her hits were hard. She had so many stuff blocks. She was fabulous at the net,” Thierolf said.
“Kirsten had a good setting night, Kaelyn had a good hitting night, Megan Richmond had a great digging night,” Thierolf said. “Montana and Briana were both great on blocks, Briana on hitting. Sam Davies came in and passed for us out of the back and she did a tremendous job.”
The Lady Warriors qualified for the championship bracket of the Heart of America league tournament. Marion will square off against five teams in a round-robin format Saturday in Sedgwick.