NIOBRARA — O’Neill St. Mary’s has been a nemesis to the Wolfpack volleyball team in recent years. No more!
On Friday night, the Wolfpack wrapped up the Niobrara Valley Conference Volleyball Tournament with a four-set victory over the Cardinals.
For the second time this season, EPPJ prevailed over the Cardinals. In the championship match, EPPJ won 25-23, 25-23, 21-25 and 25-12.
Like two champion fighters, each team took the other’s best shot. In the end, when it mattered most, the Wolfpack won the big points.
“We just crushed them,” Coach Jordynn Luettel said about the fourth set. “But, it was a struggle to get there.”
In Set #1, EPPJ trailed for most of the set, finally knotting the score at 23-all. The Wolfpack then closed out the set with an ace serve from Gentry Zwingman and a kill by Braelyn Martinsen.
Set #2 was tied at 23-all, then the Wolfpack got to set point on a Cards’ hitting error. On the next point junior Mady Kurpgeweit, returning to the form which she displayed prior to injuring her ankle several weeks ago, closed out the set with one of her team-high 16 kills.
Hoping for a sweep, EPPJ led til late when St. Mary’s tied the score at 21-all. The Cards then closed out the set with a four-point run.
The Wolfpack finally wore down the Cardinals in the fourth set. Trailing 11 to nine, EPPJ closed out the match winning the final 16 points.
….see more at this week’s Elgin Review.
