The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Harvey-Wells County continued their winning ways in Region 4, as they cruised by Dunseith and earned a five-game victory over North Star in the past week's local volleyball action.
HWC also dropped a four game match to Central McLean, the state's #3- ranked team in the latest Class B Volleyball poll.
The Hornets currently sit in the #5 position in the region, and with a victory over Four Winds-Minnewaukan to end the year, will earn a spot in the region tournament without having to play in a play-in game.
The regional tournament will start on November 11 at the Devils Lake Sports Center in Devils Lake.
HWC 3, Dunseith 0
The Hornets traveled to Dunseith on Monday, Oct. 28, and quickly took care of business defeating the Dragons in three straight sets to move their season record to 17-6-1.
The Hornets had the power at the net from the start of game one. The first set featured Braylee Keller with six kills, Taylor Nelson with three and Rylee Jones, Christalea Wagner and Rachel Neumiller with two each. Keller, Wagner and Neumiller all served aces as HWC cruised to a 25-9 win.
Set two was closer at the start before the Hornets controlled the end. HWC got behind early 6-3, but an ace from Maci Reutter and two kills from Taylor Nelson helped the Hornets take an 11-10 lead. Leading 17-15, the Hornets recorded three kills each from Nelson and Neumiller to pull away for the 25-16 victory.
HWC got behind early in the final set of the night also as Mikenzie McCloud had two kills and a blocked shot. A Brooklyn Dockter ace helped get the Hornets back on track, taking a 14-11 lead. Again, the dominance of the big hitters for HWC shined through as the trio of Nelson, Neumiller and Keller recorded eight kills in the final 11 points to secure the 25-16 win and three set sweep in Dunseith.
Central McLean 3, HWC 1
Central McLean moved their season record to 26-3 with a four-game victory over HWC on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Harvey.
The Cougars, who have a variety of go-to players, won games one and two easily, defeating HWC, 25-13 and 25-16. The Hornets came back and won game three, 25–17, before the visitors took it to the host, 25-12, in the deciding game.
The Cougars took control of the opening game, as five players recorded kills and pushed the lead to 9-4. The Hornets were able to pull within four points twice after that point on kills from Neumiller and Keller, but the evenly spread dominance at the net for Central McLean was too much for HWC. Emry Hunt, Reagan Kjelstrup and Morgan Snyder each recorded three kills in the first set, while Adlyn Eng added two more, helping the Cougars to a 25-13 win.
Game two was much closer at the start. HWC trailed 5-2, but came back to within one at 9-8 with the help of kills from Nelson, Wagner and Keller. Reutter and Kali Fike added kills midway through the set to keep the Hornets close, but back-to-back kills from Eng and an ace from Lindsey Abrahamson pushed the Cougar lead to 20-13. A Hornet service error, to go along with two attack errors from HWC, gave Central McLean game point, where Kjelstrup ended set two, 25-16, on a kill.
HWC got the hot start in game three as a kill from Nelson was followed by two aces from Reutter and a block from Neumiller, giving the Hornets a 9-4 lead. Seven points in a row from the Cougars came with a kill from Eng and two attack errors and back-to-back kills from Hunt giving Central McLean the 11-9 lead. Keller's kill and block was followed by an ace from Fike and HWC quickly regained the lead, 16-13. A couple of attack errors from the Cougars, as well as two more kills from Nelson, sparked the Hornets down the stretch and HWC won the set, 25-17, on a kill from Fike.
Central McLean started hot in game four, and the Hornets never had a chance to contend in the deciding game. With a 9-3 lead, the Cougars rattled off a 12-3 run with a variety of aces and kills moving the lead to 21-6. The Hornets made some nice plays down the stretch but could not overcome the difference, falling in the final game, 25-12.
The Cougars were led by Hunt's 11 kills and 33 assists from Daphne Lauer. In total, Central McLean had 42 kills and 12 blocks, but their defense was outstanding with 84 digs, making it hard for the Hornet big hitters to get anything going. HWC was led by Nelson with 10 kills and 23 assists from Fike. Dockter solidified the defense with 24 of the Hornets' 85 digs.
HWC 3, North Star 2
In a big Super Regional matchup, the Hornets outlasted North Star in five games to claim a huge victory in Fessenden on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The match was close throughout, with two evenly matched teams needing victories for the seeding of the upcoming Region 4 Volleyball Tournament.
The Hornets got behind early in the opening set, 9-5, despite two kills from Nelson and another from Fike. Neumiller had two aces and a kill midway through to knot the score at 10. 6'4" Anna Bessonova presented a force at the net, as she recorded three kills and altered numerous kill attempts for HWC as the Bearcats would go on for a 25-21 win. The Hornets were hampered by five service errors in the opening set.
The Bearcats opened up another big lead in the second game, as they led 13-7 midway through the game on the heels of a couple of kills from Claire Jorde. HWC rallied back into contention with a kill and ace from Neumiller as well as a kill from Keller. Trailing 23-20, Keller dominated the net to the end, securing four straight kills, lifting the Hornets to a 26-24 win.
Game three also went to extra points to find a winner. The Hornets' serving game had four more service errors in the third set, but the rest of the HWC game was solid. The Hornets led 23-19 late in the set, but North Star would have an answer similar to what HWC had in the second set. The Hornets had three attack errors, but it was kills from Mattea Wanzek, Genevieve Ahlberg and Jorde that helped the Bearcats win the third set, 27-25.
In a win-or-go-home game, the Hornets did what they needed to do in the fourth set. Although North Star started strong with a 10-3 lead on a block and two kills from Bessonova, the Hornets would gradually chip away at the lead. Two kills each from Neumiller and Keller, to go along with an ace from Fike, cut the lead to 13-10. A couple of Bearcat attack errors would be just what HWC needed, as they knotted the score at 14 on a kill from Reutter. Neumiller added back-to-back kills to give HWC a two point advantage. With a 19-17 lead, the Hornets got kills from Nelson and Neumiller and then three aces in a row from Reutter to move the lead to 24-17. A Bearcat attack error gave the Hornets the win in game four, 25-18.
Genivieve Ahlberg and Bessonova started the deciding set with kills for a quick 2-0 lead for North Star. Two kills from Kelller and another from Reutter quickly turned the game into a 5-2 Hornet lead. The teams traded points until a kill and a block from Annabelle Staus cut the lead to 9-8. Two kills from Keller jumped the HWC lead to 13-10 and another kill from Keller gave HWC the win, 15-11, and match, 3-2.
Statistically, HWC was led in kills by Neumiller and Keller with 19 each. Neumiller and Reutter each had three aces, and Keller had 33 of the Hornets' 116 digs. Fike dished out 48 assists in the five games. The Bearcats were led by Bessonova's 17 kills and nine blocks. North Star amassed an impressive 29 blocks and 84 digs, an impressive defensive effort which allowed them to be competitive in this game.
Super Region 4 Volleyball
HWC 3, Dunseith 0
at Dunseith
HWC 25 25 25 - 3
Duns. 9 16 16 - 0
HWC Individual Stats
Kills: Braylee Keller and Rachel Neumiller 11, Taylor Nelson 8, Kali Fike 4, Rylee Jones and Christalea Wagner 3, Brooklyn Dockter and Maci Reutter 1.
Assists: Fike 23, Nelson 6, Keller and Neumiller 3, Dockter, Jones and Reutter 1.
Aces: Dockter, Keller, Nelson, Reutter and Wagner 1.
Blocks: Nelson and Reutter 1.
Digs: Dockter 11, Neumiller 9, Nelson 7, Jones and Keller 6, Fike and Reutter 5, Mia Arnold 4, Wagner 3.
Nonregion Volleyball
Central McLean 3, HWC 1
at Harvey
CMC 25 25 17 25 - 3
HWC 13 16 25 12 - 1
HWC Individual Stats
Kills: Nelson 10, Keller 9, Neumiller 8, Fike and Reutter 2, Wagner 1.
Assists: Fike 23, Nelson 3, Neumiller and Reutter 2, Keller 1.
Aces: Keller and Reutter 2, Fike 1.
Blocks: Fike and Neumiller 1.
Digs: Dockter 24, Fike 17, Keller 16, Neumiller 11, Reutter 10, Nelson 7, Wagner 6, Arnold and Ella Allmaras 1.
Super Region 4 Volleyball
HWC 3, North Star 2
at Fessenden
NS 25 19 25 15 15 - 2
HWC 15 25 14 25 11 - 3
HWC Individual Stats
Kills: Keller and Neumiller 19, Nelson 13, Jones 5, Fike, Reutter and Wagner 2.
Assists: Fike 48, Keller, Nelson and Reutter 3, Wagner 2, Neumiller 1.
Aces: Neumiller and Reutter 3, Fike and Nelson 2, Dockter 1.
Blocks: Fike, Keller, Nelson and Wagner 1.
Digs: Keller 33, Neumiller 23, Dockter 22, Fike 14, Reutter 13, Wagner 9, Jones and Nelson 2.
