Norse netters split with Eagles, Mustangs
Aryana Ausderau of Whitehall spiked the ball during her team’s match against Melrose-Mindoro on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
The Whitehall volleyball team was close to getting two wins, but had to settle for a split after letting a 2-0 lead get away.
The Norse swept Alma/Pepin on the road last week Tuesday. On Thursday, the team started strong by winning the first two sets, but Melrose-Mindoro controlled the rest of the match for a 3-2 win.
Whitehall began this week with a 6-7 record, including a 3-3 record in Dairyland Conference play. The Norse played at Alma Center Lincoln on Tuesday and will host Cochrane-Fountain City this Thursday. The team will be at home against Augusta next Tuesday.
WHS 25 25 25
A/P 21 23 19
After two close sets, the Norse finished the sweep.
The Norse won the first set by four and the second by two, but had more breathing room with a six-point win to earn the sweep.
Bria Pank had nine kills to lead Whitehall at the net, while also adding two service aces and 12 set assists.
Paige Lisowski added nine kills, while Kelsie Klomsten had six. Kyla Lambeck finished with 20 set assists.
Lisowski was active defensively with 13 digs and one block. She and Klomsten both had two aces.
M-M 23 14 25 25 15
WHS 25 25 17 13 9
The Norse appeared to take control, but then lost it as the Mustangs stampeded back to win the match.
Whitehall won a close first set, then dominated the second. The team scored the first seven points and maintained a double-digit lead for most of a 25-14 win that put it ahead 2-0. But Whitehall would score just 30 points combined in the next two sets, then the Mustangs finished the comeback with a 15-9 win in the fifth.
Pank had 12 kills, Klomsten finished with 10; Lisowski, six and Aryana Ausderau, four. Ausderau also had three blocks.
Lambeck had a team-high 16 assists, Pank finished with eight. Harlow Foss had 14 digs and three aces. Lambeck added two aces.
