Toughest girls on the block

A pair of volleyball programs hoping to gain positive momentum into the start of their district tournaments met in Carrington's East Gym Monday night, October 23.

Medina/Pingree-Buchanan, already locked in as the top seed in District 6, met the fourth-seeded Cardinals from District 5 in what has annually become an underrated rivalry of two teams with high yearly expectations.

This time around, it was CHS, behind a stout effort on the blocking game and their scrappy earn-your-points back row, that took a 25-22, 25-16, 22-25 and 25-21 win over the Thunder.

Against M-P-B's front line hitters featuring senior Allison Thomas, junior Maddie Gefroh and sophomore Brynn Sorenson, the Cards needed precision leaps and timing, along with tough sets of hands, to stifle the Thunder offense.

While each team had their share of runs, the Cardinal block made their mark on key points with a total of 14 stuffs. Juniors Kaydence VanRay (six blocks) and Edyn Hoorneart (four) were part of 10 of those.

In the Thunder's one set win, there were 12 ties before M-P-B made a run late to secure the set. They also had a shot to come back in set four after trailing for much of the game, but the Cards held them off.

For the victors, Madison Johnson had 13 kills, and Isabel Wendel added 12, while the latter also was pivotal around the court with 23 assists and 31 digs, both team highs.

Defensively, Harper Kollman also had 26 digs, to go with 23 apiece by Johnson and Kenadie Pazdernik.

Sorenson led M-P-B with 16 kills and added 28 digs, one of which allowed her to go over 1,000 for her career in just her sophomore season. She was recognized for her achievement following the match (see related photo).

Thomas led the team with 33 digs and also had 14 kills, while Gefroh was also in double figures with 12 kills and led the Thunder in aces with three and blocks with two, along with Jorgen Tripp.

With the win, Carrington improved to 21-9, while M-P-B fell to 20-8.

CHS began their District 5 Tournament action in Oakes last Thursday against fifth-seeded Griggs/Midkota, and M-P-B starts play at District 6 in Napoleon today (October 30) following a first-round bye, and will take on the Kidder County vs. Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter winner at 6 p.m.

Nondistrict Volleyball

Carrington 3, M-P-B 1

at Carrington

M-P-B 22 19 25 21 - 1

Cgtn. 25 25 22 25 - 3

Carrington Individual Stats

Kills: Madison Johnson 13, Isabel Wendel 12, Kaydence VanRay 7, Harper Kollman 5, Mercedes Lura 3, Edyn Hoornaert 2, Kacie Rexin 1.

Aces: Kollman, Kenadie Paz-dernik and Rexin 1.

Assists: Wendel 23, Rexin 17, Johnson and Lura 1.

Blocks: VanRay 6, Hoornaert 4, Lura 2, Kollman and Wendel 1.

Digs: Wendel 31, Kollman 26, Johnson and Pazdernik 23, Hoor-naert 15, Rexin 11, VanRay and Lura 3.

M-P-B Individual Stats

Kills: Brynn Sorenson 16, Allison Thomas 14, Maddie Gefroh 12, Violet Bohl 2.

Aces: Gefroh 3, Bohl, Cierra Mack and Thomas 1.

Assists: Bohl 38.

Blocks: Gefroh and Jorgen Tripp 2, Sorenson and Thomas 1.

Digs: Thomas 33, Sorenson 28, Alaina Bosche 26, Bohl 19, Mack 15, Gefroh 5, Tripp 2.