Wildcat volleyball improves to 8-2
by Diane Stamm
Grant tribune-sentinel
The Wallace volleyball team had a five-win week, including a nice showing at Saturday’s Loomis Tournament.
The week started with Tuesday matches at Hitchcock County against the Falcons and Perkins County (3-4).
The Wildcats swept PCS to start the night. Wallace only let the Plainsmen hold serve twice in the first set and took a 25-13 win. Wallace trailed 2-5 early in the second set, but a serving run by Kendyl Flaming, that included two aces, gave the Wildcats a 10-5 lead before PCS bounced back to tie the set at 15. Wallace answered with five-straight points and finished the match with a 25-19 win.
Hitchcock County gave Wallace a run for its money in the first set of the night’s final match. Wallace only led 11-10 before a four-point run, including two aces by Flaming, boosted the lead to 15-10. The Wildcats took the set 25-21. The second set was all Wallace. Hitchcock County only held serve once in the set. With Wallace leading 15-11, Kaley Sauser served the Wildcats to a 25-11 win.
Tourney at Loomis
Wallace brought home the second place plaque from the Loomis Tournament.
Head Coach Krystal Sauser said her team competed well.
“I was proud of the way the girls competed all day,” she said.
The Wildcats played Hi-Line in their first match. Sauser said her team started off slow in the first set, but cleaned up their play in the second set playing much better.
Wallace used a big serving run by Karlie Finley to open up a 16-7 lead in set one. Hi-Line had an answer and pulled back to within one point. Brooke Bryant closed out the 25-19 win with four-straight serves. Finley continued to give the Bulls fits in set two, service 13-straight points in the 25-9 win.
Silver Lake (7-4) gave Wallace all it wanted in the day’s second match. Trailing 19-23, Flaming closed out the set with five serves in a row. The Wildcats fell behind 6-10 in the second set and faced three set points before falling 20-25. Sauser said her team had to persevere in the third set before taking a 25-17 win. Wallace only allowed Silver Lake to hold serve three times in the final set.
Wallace rolled into the final match and took a 25-20 win in set one. With Bryant serving the Wildcats turned a 12-15 deficit into a 19-12 lead. The tide turned in the second set with Wallace losing 25.15. An early five-point run by Loomis in the third set gave it the breathing room it needed to send Wallace home with a 22-25 loss.
RPAC in the ratings
The RPAC conference is well represented in the Omaha World Herald ratings.
In Class D1, Maywood/Hayes Center is ranked number 1, Cambridge is sixth and Alma is ninth. Southwest is eighth in Class C2. Paxton recently entered the Class D2 ratings at number 10.
Wallace’s games for this week began at home Tuesday with a triangular against Sutherland (4-4) and Mullen (0-9).
Friday the team will be part of a volleyball/football doubleheader at South Platte (4-5).
Wallace will get a look at Paxton next Tuesday at the Paxton Tournament. The tournament should be a good one with 10-0 Potter-Dix and 4-6 Wauneta-Palisade also attending.