ELGIN — Victory tasted sweet for Coach Jordynn Luettel and the Wolfpack volleyball team Thursday night with a four-set victory over Lutheran High Northeast.
Luettel gained her first victory as head coach of the team AND for the team is was an impressive victory in the season opener for both schools.
The Wolfpack won the first two sets in dominating fashion, then after LHNE won set three, EPPJ closed out the match. Set scores were 25-16, 25-12, 20-25 and 25-7.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Luettel told The Elgin Review after the match. “The girls were hungry and ready to go.”
Nowhere was the Wolfpack’s more evident than in the final set. Up six to three, EPPJ ripped off eight consecutive points. With Camry Kittelson serving, EPPJ got superb play out of the front row. Ashlynne Charf and Kayton Zwingman combined for a stuff block for one point, then Charf sandwiched two kills around a Kittelson ace serve. A sophomore, Kittelson led the team with five ace serves.
Zwingman added a slide kill as part of the 14 to three run which made the score 20 to five.
On this night, the Wolfpack’s biggest weapon was the right hand of their tallest player – Chloe Henn. She closed out the match with a kill, giving her a team-high 15 kills on 22 swings for the match.
“Setter Baylee (Busteed) knows where to put the ball for me,” Henn said.
As a team, EPPJ recorded 39 kills as the Eagles just couldn’t stop the Wolfpack attack.
Charf finished with 14 kills on 36 swings and junior Sara Bode added five kills.
A senior, Busteed picked up where she left off last season. In the Wolfpack’s 5-1 offense, Busteed recorded 32 set assists with just one error. “It was a fun environment out there … we’re just hanging out having fun,” Busteed said. “LHNE are always very competitive, a very scrappy team.”
In the back row, EPPJ recorded 41 digs. Junior libero Kate Furstenau recorded team-highs with 20 digs. Charf led in serve receive with 20, Furstenau had 15 and senior Brenna Martinsen notched 11.
After facing Burwell Tuesday night (too late for press time), the Wolfpack will play a triangular at Stuart on August 31.
For stats, see this week’s Elgin Review.
