Eagles get another volleyball win

ST. JOHN - Led by senior Avery Fleming and junior Catalina Torres, the St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse (SJEL) Eagles volleyball team notched a win against the Colton Wildcats, 3-0, on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Fleming had eight kills and a block, with Torres getting 12 digs and seven aces.

"We've really been working on our communication and also our serving," said Eagles Head Coach Jenn Johnson. "Just being disciplined and making sure we're not giving the ball right back to the other team."

Set one started with SJEL gaining small leads, but the Wildcats coming back to tie the set. The Eagles began to run away with the score and Torres notched two of her aces with precision serving the last six points of the set. SJEL won set one, 25-13.

Set two began much more in SJEL's favor. The Eagles built an 11-2 lead, with three aces awarded to Fleming during that time.

However, the Wildcats pounced back, closing the gap and making the score 9-12.

A kill by junior Olivia Danielson and an ace by junior Ashlynn Forest set the tone for the Eagles to widen the gap, but an ace by Colton junior Kiya Soza and a block kill by senior Clair Moehrle helped the Wildcats tie the set 16-16.

The teams continued to battle until the set was tied again, this time 21-21.

Three kills by the Eagles and a final point sealed set two with SJEL winning, 25-21, and taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

"It shows that even though we're young, they're disciplined and have that mental side of the game to come back," Johnson said. "They don't get stuck dropping down. They're ready to rise back up and play their game."

The Eagles took a 4-0 lead to start set three. A Colton front-line kill and an ace by sophomore Mere Bell brought the Wildcats back.

The teams traded kills by senior Kate Hergert on the Eagles side and from freshman Lola Walsborn on the Wildcats side to keep the score close. SJEL began to open up the scoring with Torres at the serving line.

The Wildcats saw some life with a pair of aces by Bell, but the Eagles gained three kills in a row to maintain their lead. Eventually the Eagles took set three, 25-18, and the match, 3-0.

"We're young, so it's just continuing to build those small skills and building into working a faster-paced offense," Johnson said. "It's watching game film and having a plan of attack, then knowing where the other team's holes are at."

The teams played two more exhibition sets to gain experience on the court with Coltin winning set four, 25-21, and set five, 16-14.

The Eagles move to 2-1 on the season after falling to Oakesdale, 3-0, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and defeating Waitsbur, 3-0, on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

In the match against Waitsburg, the set scores were 25-9, 25-7, 25-15. Fleming and Danielson led the Eagles in kills with five each. Torres had 15 aces on 24 serve attempts for an 87.5 serving percentage. Junior setter Sophie Anderson led the team with 16 assists.

"I'm just super proud of them," Johnson said.