Lady Jays Volleyball
Pierce Volleyball Conquers Columbus Classic
By Josie Painter
The PHS varsity volleyball girls woke up bright and early on Saturday morning, October 3, and after wiping the sleep from their eyes, wiped out every team they played, earning first place at the Columbus Classic.
To win the championship match, Pierce faced Malcolm, the team that beat them in the district final match last year. The girls got their revenge and swept them with set scores of 25-19 and 25-17. It was a big win for the Bluejays, as Malcom is ranked third in the state.
“It felt amazing. The team played really well together, and our blocking was definitely the difference maker in the match. I think we all had a little more fire coming off the district final loss last year, and to beat them was incredible,” Lydia Cone, sophomore middle hitter, said.
The team played Syracuse first and ended the game in two quick sets with scores of 25-18 and 25-19. In the next game against Lakeview, the Bluejays lost the first set 25-22, but came out strong the next two sets, winning 25-21 and 25-15, respectively.
For the entire day, Nora Herian led the team in kills with 40, followed by Kyndal Werner with 24. The middle hitters, Kayton Werner and Cone, had 11 and five kills, respectively, and setter Adrienne Riggert had seven.
Herian also led the team in digs with 35, followed by Riggert, who had 27. Josie Painter and Ky. Werner both dug 23, and Kenzi Nygren dug 15.
Additionally, the team had a total of 16 blocks and 19 aces for the day.
“I thought we played extremely well. We served awesome from the very beginning. I think the Syracuse match all the way through the Malcolm match, and I think that ultimately is the biggest key,” Zach Weber, head coach, said.
The volleyball girls' next home game will be their pink-out game against Guardian Angels Cedar Catholic. Be sure to show up in pink, ready to beat GACC and support breast cancer awareness.
Bluejays Tussle Laurel-Concord-Coleridge
By Payton Ebmeier
The Bluejays hosted Laurel-Concord-Coleridge on September 29. With the game going into five sets, it was a difficult match.
“The energy was really high and we were super excited coming into the game. We knew it was going to be tough, but we were excited to play,” senior Josie Painter said.
The girls won two back-to-back sets with the scores of 28-26 and 25-14 after Laurel won the first set 26-24. Laurel managed to secure the fourth set, making a tie-breaking round take place. The final score was 3-2 in Laurel-Condord-Coleridge’s favor, with the final set’s score announced as 15-10.
“LCC is a very tough team. We did a lot of great things but ultimately fell just a couple of plays short. We will learn from it and move on,” head coach Zach Weber commented. “Our schedule is incredibly difficult, but we have a team full of great kids who will rise to the occasion and use all the experience as a learning tool. It will definitely make us better by the end of the season.”
The girls compete again at O’Neill on Thursday, October 8, starting at 5 p.m. with the freshmen team with JV and varsity to follow.
JV Volleyball Dominates at the Ponca Triangular
By Raleigh Pfeiffer
The JV volleyball team showcased their talent at the Ponca Triangular on Thursday, October 1, where they competed against the Ponca Indians and the Dakota Valley Panthers. The Bluejays took home the win in both games.
JV coach Kylie Freeman led her team to those two victories. She was very proud of her team and their many strengths.
“All around positive feeling. (I’m) very happy with the results,” Freeman states.
They first faced the Ponca Indians and swept them. The Bluejays dominated in the first set to win, ending with a score of 25-20. They crushed the Indians in the second set with a score of 25-5.
They finished up the night by defeating the Dakota Valley Panthers as well. In the first set, they battled with the Panthers and won with a set score of 25-19. They completed their night with a win and a final set score of 25-22.
As a team, they had many strengths as they conquered the night: the bluejays dominated with aggressive serving in both games. There were other strengths as well.
“The hustle was good. There were lots of rallies, diving girls, and grit to keep going. Overall, good mentality, hustle, and determination throughout the night,” JV coach Freeman states.
Despite the awesome win, there is always stuff to improve on for the next game.
“I'd say we need to focus on communication and finishing up at the net,” junior Jada Johnson states.
Come support the Bluejays at their next appearance at home on October 6 at 5:00 for a triangular against Wayne and Boone Central!
Freshman Volleyball Shines at Pierce Tournament
By Lydia Cone
The Pierce freshman volleyball team took advantage of the home court on October 3, taking second place.
Their first game was against the Crofton Warriors, where they came out victorious in two sets. The set scores were 25-12 and 25-19.
Pierce’s second game was against Wayne, and they came out on top with a tough win over the Blue Devils. The set scores were 19-25, 25-20, and 15-8.
“First off, our mindset changed from the first to the second set, resulting in us, as a team, not letting any balls drop and playing cleaner,” freshman setter and outside hitter Stella Riggert said.
Their last game was the championship against Norfolk Public. Pierce ended up with a loss, but it was not for lack of effort or intensity. The set scores were 25-22 and 25-23 in favor of the Panthers.
“Overall, we took second place, and I was happy with how the girls played. Especially in our second game, to come back and win while being down a set, and to also keep the momentum rolling, is not always an easy task. The championship game was a close one and I was happy with the hustle that I saw from the girls, especially with it being our third game of the day.” freshman coach Kylie Freeman said.
