By Coach Kelly Erickson
The Central Warriors wrapped up the regular season last week with two conference matches.
On Oct. 20, the Warriors took on Clayton Ridge in an exciting five-set battle, falling just short with scores of 23-25, 25-19, 25-27, 25-15 and 13-15. The team played some great volleyball, fighting hard from start to finish and never giving up. It was an incredibly competitive match, with the Warriors never losing a set by more than two points. In fact, Central finished the match with more total points than Clayton Ridge, 111-101, showing just how hard the team battled throughout the night. It was a great team effort, and the girls should be proud of the way they competed.
As a team, the Warriors served 88%. Eighth grader Rylie Kuhse had a strong night at the service line, going 26 for 27 with one ace. Ella Frieden went 22 for 23, while Brylee Erickson finished 18 for 21 with two aces.
Offensively, Brylee led the Warriors with 15 kills, followed by Ella with 12, Carlie Bergan with nine and Avery Fette with seven. Eighth grader Ori Burke also stepped in and made a great contribution with six kills. Zoey Armstrong did an excellent job running the offense and distributing the ball, finishing with 41 assists.
Defensively, Ella was a force at the net with five blocks. Brylee led the back row with 26 digs, while Avery and Ella each added 20 digs. It was an outstanding effort against a competitive Clayton Ridge team.
On Oct. 15, the Warriors celebrated Senior Night with a three-set victory over Postville, winning 25-21, 25-18 and 25-21. Central played well together, attacking the ball, working hard and making plays when it mattered. It was great to see the team come together and finish the regular season with a win on Senior Night.
Serving was an area the Warriors would like to improve, as the team finished at 80%. Avery led the way at the service line, going 14 for 16 with two aces, while Brylee went 14 for 15 with four aces. Zoey once again did a great job setting up the offense and distributing the ball, finishing with 31 assists.
Carlie had a great night at the net, leading the Warriors with 14 kills. Brylee and Ella added seven kills each. The Warriors had several strong attacks throughout the match. While not every attack resulted in a kill, Postville did a nice job defensively digging the ball. Central continued to put pressure on their defense and create scoring opportunities. Overall, it was great to see the offense and defense working together to earn the win.
Defensively, Zoey led the Warriors with 15 digs, followed by Brylee and Ella with 12 digs each and Carlie with 10. Ella also had an outstanding night at the net, recording three solo blocks and two blocking assists.
The Warriors now turn their attention to postseason play, as they hosted Riceville on Monday for the first round of regional action. The team has shown that it can compete, battle through tough situations and play great volleyball together. We look forward to carrying that energy into the postseason.
