Wildcats split net matches
Blair-Taylor’s Paige Kelly returned a serve during their match against Royal last week Tuesday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
Independence/Gilmanton’s Arabelle Kniseley passed to the front row during Thursday’s match against Blair-Taylor. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
After losing a nonconference match, the Blair-Taylor volleyball team opened Dairyland Conference competition with a win over Independence/Gilmanton last week.
The Wildcats struggled to get going in a three-set sweep by Loyal at B-T last week Tuesday. On Thursday, B-T dropped the first set at home against I/G, but won the next three to pick up a 3-1 win.
The Wildcats, under first-year coach Greta Monson, enter this week with a 3-3 overall record. They were scheduled to play at Whitehall on Tuesday before getting a week off and playing at Eleva-Strum next Tuesday. They’ll host Alma Center Lincoln next Thursday.
Loyal 25 25 25
B-T 20 14 19
The Wildcats failed to top 20 points in any of the three sets.
B-T got a productive night at the net from sophomore Andrea Waldera who led the team with eight kills and nine blocks. She added two service aces and 12 digs.
Paige Kelly led B-T with 22 digs, while Jenna Beam added 18. Anna White tied with Waldera for the team-high with two aces while adding two blocks, 10 set assists and seven digs.
Sara Steffenson and Ryleigh Seitz both had three kills for B-T. Seitz added a block and two digs. Isabelle Woodard had one kill and two digs, Emma Nyen had a block. Madalynn Frederixon had one kill and nine digs.
I/G 25 14 19 25
B-T 23 25 25 27
The Indees had no answer for Waldera, while B-T’s back row defenders were active in the win.
I/G picked up a close win in the first set, but the second and third were both controlled by B-T. Waldera had a match-high 21 kills to go with seven blocks. Seitz, Woodard and Frederixon all made an impact at the net with five kills. Seitz added five blocks.
Part of what made B-T’s ability to get into its offense possible was its ability to keep volleys alive. Kelly had 40 digs for the Wildcats while Waldera finished with 28, Beam added 19; White, nine and Frederixon, eight.
The Wildcats also thrived at the service line as both Waldera and White had nine aces, Beam added four, Frederixon, two and Kelly, one.
White led the team with 18 assists while also picking up three kills and two blocks. Frederixon added nine assists and Kelly finished with five.
Emma Cowen led the Indees with nine kills, while Makiyah Scow had eight and Nora Schank added seven. Shauna Dejno contributed at the net with five kills, Kassidi Dejno had four and Adison Pronschinske finished with three.
The Indees had 11 aces, led by Kylynn Kennedy’s seven. Pronschinske had two while both Schank and Scow had one.
Pronschinske led the team with 27 set assists and 25 digs. Kennedy added 19 digs, Schank had 16 and Arrabelle Kniseley finished with 12.
