Lady Plainsmen open season with Sutherland triangular

The Perkins County volleyball team opened their season Aug. 23 in Sutherland with a triangular against the Sailors and the Creek Valley Storm, bringing their early season record to 1-1.

After a tough loss the first game against the Sailors, the Lady Plainsmen took the court for the second game of the evening, coming out with a hard-fought win over the Storm.

Sutherland

The Lady Plainsmen faced a tough opponent in the Sailors, who were able to control the game from the get-go, beating Perkins County in two sets, 25-7, 25-11.

Perkins County struggled against Sutherland’s strong left-handed hitter and well-placed tips. 

According to Head Coach Monica Cole, “Nerves, lack of communication and not defensively getting to where we needed to be was definitely a factor in that game.”

Trouble digging the Sailors’ hits and getting passes to their setter, challenged the Lady Plainsmen to get their offense running effectively.

Sutherland’s solid blockers also confronted Perkins County at the net throughout the game. 

Sutherland quickly racked up points against the Lady Plainsmen and pulled away with wins in both sets.

Hallie Fisher: 2 points, 1 set assist; Rylee Huff: 1 point, 2 digs; Dani Burge: 1 point, 1 kill, 2 digs, 1 set assist; Samantha Patrick: 2 kills, 3 digs; Ayrn Seiler: 1 kill; Emma Schrotberger: 5 digs.

Creek Valley

After a short break following their first game, Perkins County and Coach Cole came out ready to play in game two against Creek Valley, defeating the Storm in two sets, 25-15, 31-29.

The Lady Plainsmen started the first set with an ace serve, followed by three additional points before turning the serve over to the Storm.

Despite a brief breakdown in communication, Perkins County regained control to run a solid offense, quickly taking the win in the first set.

During the second set, Creek Valley turned up the heat and were determined to make the Lady Plainsmen work for the win.

The two teams fought hard during the second set, keeping the score close and the fans on the edge of their seats.

“I was extremely proud of how the girls bounced back for Creek Valley. They came out with a will to win and they competed until that happened,” Cole said.

Following a Perkins County lead in the early part of the set, Creek Valley found their rhythm and capitalized on the Lady Plainsmen’s mistakes, pulling ahead 22-24.

“With a few key blocks, scrappy digs and some good kills, we came back to tie it up,” Cole said.

The remainder of the set became a mental game as the two teams fought to pull ahead, keeping the score within one to two points. 

Perkins County was finally able to gain the final two points needed to claim the win, battling to a final score of 31-29. 

Coach Cole was excited to see the determination they have worked on in practice since day one show on the court. 

“We have really been emphasizing on giving so much that you get out of your comfort zone and do what it takes,” she explained. 

Moving forward Cole will have the team working on some defensive items and looks forward to the team’s chemistry falling into place as the season moves forward. 

Schrotberger: 4 points, 3 kills, 5 digs; Fisher: 1 point, 2 digs; Huff: 7 points, 2 kills, 3 set assists, 6 digs; Patrick: 1 point, 8 digs; Seiler: 10 points, 4 kills, 3 solo blocks, 1 set assist, 5 digs; Burge: 3 points, 3 kills, 1 solo block, 1 set assist; Bella Fraizer: 3 points, 1 kill, 1 set assist, 6 digs; Juels Lyon: 7 digs.

Next action

The Lady Plainsmen will take on the North Platte St. Pat’s Fighting Irish on Thursday, Aug. 30 at 4:30 p.m. on their home court.

Tuesday, Sept. 4, Perkins County will host a home triangular against the Wallace Wildcats and Hitchcock County Falcons beginning at 4 p.m.