Wisner-Pilger sweeps Madison and Howells-Dodge

The Wisner-Pilger Gators went 2-0 last week, beating Madison and Howells-Dodge 2-0 at the Wisner-Pilger Double Triangular last Tuesday.

Wisner-Pilger defeated the Jaguars 25-10 in set one and 25-14 in set two.

Bailey Batenhorst totaled 9 kills and 9 digs while Sydney Bradfield notched 8 kills and 7 digs. Sara Smyth added 7 kills while Sydney Williams and Lauren Jacobsen recorded 17 and 10 set assists, respectively.

The Gators downed the Dragons 25-9 in set one and 25-11 in set two.

Bradfield registered 8 kills. Williams notched 15 set assists while Jacobsen had 7.

Wisner-Pilger dominated both matches last week. The Gators played superb volleyball, and took care of both opponents with ease.

Wisner-Pilger (13-3) takes part in the Lutheran High Northeast Tourney on Thursday.

This is a big, important tournament for the Gators.

It's important for Wisner-Pilger to come out and play well.

The Gators will have plenty of chances to prove themselves on Thursday.

Bradfield, Williams, Jacobsen, Smyth, Batenhorst, and others have to perform well for Wisner-Pilger.

Those five played well last Tuesday, and I look for them, along with Tessa Ruskamp, to have a big impact on Thursday's matches.

The Gators need everyone on the same page and to have the same mindset.

Wisner-Pilger has to be focused the entire tournament, and has to do what they can to go 3-0.

It would be a big deal for the Gators to finish the tourney undefeated.

It would show how good a team Wisner-Pilger really is.

This is a big week for the Gators. Wisner-Pilger also has the Wisner-Pilger October Classic on Saturday so the Gators have to be ready to go both days.

It's time for Wisner-Pilger to rise up and shine. Only the Gators' best volleyball will win them matches on Thursday and Saturday.

North Bend Central downs Twin River

The North Bend Central Tigers downed Twin River 3-0 on the road last Tuesday, winning set one 25-23, set two 25-14, and set three 25-11.

Kristin Lux totaled 12 kills while Allison Lux added 9. Brooke Fredrickson notched 8. Noelle White dished out 20 set assists while Kaitlynn Bjorklund had 11.

North Bend Central took care of business last Tuesday. The Tigers didn't mess around with the Titans, they won emphatically.

North Bend Central (15-3) hosts Tekamah-Herman (10-8) on Thursday.

Tekamah-Herman has struggled as of late as they went 1-4 last week.

Tekamah-Herman lost 2-0 to Oakland-Craig and Stanton at the Stanton Triangular last Tuesday before falling 3-1 at home to Arlington on Thursday.

Tekamah-Herman beat York 2-1 at the Raymond Central Invite on Saturday, but lost 2-0 to Platteview.

Tekamah-Herman has certainly been beat by some good teams lately so their recent struggles are sort of deceiving, in my opinion.

I think Tekamah-Herman is a respectable team, and should be ready to give North Bend Central their best shot.

With that said, North Bend Central has been rolling as of late. North Bend Central hasn't lost in nearly a month.

I don't see North Bend Central getting beat on Thursday. I think Tekamah-Herman could definitely take a set, but I think North Bend Central will be too strong for Tekamah-Herman in the end.

This is North Bend Central's only match of the week so they have to do everything in their power to come out on top Thursday.

A win would be good for this team. A loss would not be good as North Bend Central would have five days to think about things.

Stanton sweeps home Triangular

The Stanton Mustangs won their only two matches of the week last week, beating Tekamah-Herman 2-0 and Oakland-Craig 2-1 at the Stanton Triangular on Tuesday.

Stanton downed the Tigers 25-18 in set one and 25-15 in set two.

Hilary Huss finished with 10 kills and 11 set assists while Bree Burtwhistle had 7 kills, 7 digs, and 11 set assists. MacKenzie Brandl totaled 14 digs while Jessie Brandl recorded 9.

The Knights took set one from the Mustangs 25-18, but Stanton rebounded to win set two 25-21 and set three 25-15.

Huss had 14 kills, 10 digs, and 16 set assists while Jessie Brandl notched 11 kills and 10 digs. Burtwhistle added 8 kills, 13 digs, and 18 set assists. MacKenzie Brandl registered 17 digs while Alex Oestreich posted 10.

The Mustangs continued to play at a high level last week. Stanton got down to Oakland-Craig, but didn't panic, and came back to win the match.

The Mustangs (18-1) host Howells-Dodge (12-5) on Tuesday.

The Jaguars went 4-2 last week, defeating Lyons-Decatur Northeast, Oakland-Craig, Cross County, and Clarkson/Leigh while losing to Wisner-Pilger and David City Aquinas.

This match has the potential to go four or five sets, or it could be a sweep.

A lot is probably going to depend on how well Howells-Dodge plays.

Stanton has been the model of consistency this entire season while the Jaguars have been up and down.

Howells-Dodge can be a scary team though. They beat the Knights, who were a set away from taking down the Mustangs.

The difference is the Oakland-Craig match was a home match for the Jaguars whereas the Stanton match is on the road.

All of Howells-Dodge's losses have come on the road or at neutral sites this season.

The Jaguars have defended their home turf well, but when it comes to play away from home, Howells-Dodge has been inconsistent.

That's why I like the Mustangs to win. I can't guarantee a pretty win for Stanton, but I'm willing to bet the Mustangs find a way to get the job done somehow.

This is Stanton's only match of the week so I'm sure the Mustangs want to win in impressive fashion.

Oakland-Craig finishes week 4-2

The Oakland-Craig Knights performed pretty well last week, going 4-2 against the likes of Stanton, Tekamah-Herman, Howells-Dodge, Cross County, David City Aquinas, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

Oakland-Craig swept the Tigers 2-0 at the Stanton Triangular on Tuesday, but lost 2-1 to the host Mustangs.

The Knights won set one over Tekamah-Herman 31-29, and took set two 27-25.

Oakland-Craig took set one from Stanton 25-18, but lost set two 25-21 and set three 25-15.

The Knights lost 3-2 on the road to the Jaguars on Thursday.

Howells-Dodge took set one 25-20 before Oakland-Craig took sets two and three 25-23 and 25-12. The Jaguars bounced back to win sets four and five 25-17 and 15-10.

The Knights defeated Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 2-1 at the Clarkson Tourney on Saturday.

Oakland-Craig lost set one 26-24, but rebounded to win sets two and three 25-10 and 25-15.

The Knights swept the Monarchs 2-0, also at the Clarkson Tourney.

Oakland-Craig won set one 25-15, and earned a 25-22 set two win.

The Knights took care of the Cougars in two sets on Saturday, winning set one 25-11 and set two 25-16.

Oakland-Craig played at a high level last week. The Knights took powerhouse Stanton to the brink, and nearly came away with a win over Howells-Dodge. If Oakland-Craig finishes off those matches they finish the week 6-0 instead of 4-2.

The Knights (14-5) take on Douglas County West (5-11) and West Point-Beemer (7-7) at the Douglas County West Triangular on Tuesday.

The Falcons swept Omaha Christian Academy 3-0 on Tuesday while the Cadets lost to Arlington and Wayne on Tuesday before beating Norfolk Catholic on Thursday.

Both teams will present different challenges for Oakland-Craig. The Knights figure to get challenged by Douglas County West given the fact the match is on the Falcons' home floor and Douglas County West has played better volleyball as of late.

West Point-Beemer has challenged many of the tough teams on their schedule and has only lost to teams with records well above .500.

Oakland-Craig should win both matches, but I wouldn't be surprised if either opponent took their respective match to a third set.

The Knights did a good job finishing off opponents on Saturday, and that has to carry over into Tuesday.

These are Oakland-Craig's only matches of the week so the Knights would love to win twice heading into next week.

A loss or two would most likely leave a bad taste in this team's mouths. Oakland-Craig doesn't want to suffer defeat this week.

The Knights have to come out and execute at a high level, and not give either team easy points. Oakland-Craig's blocking, serving, passing, hitting, digging and serve receiving has to be true to form.

Logan View 0-3 in last three matches

The Logan View Raiders were unable to find any success last week after beating Omaha Brownell-Talbot twice the week before.

Logan View lost 3-0 at Clarkson/Leigh on Tuesday, and 2-0 to Wayne and Madison at the Logan View Triangular on Thursday.

The Raiders lost to the Patriots in set one 25-16, dropped set two 25-14, and fell in set three 25-12.

The Blue Devils topped Logan View 25-12 in set one, and 25-9 in set two.

The Dragons downed the Raiders 25-21 in set one and 25-20 in set two.

It had to be a fairly frustrating week for Logan View, who probably feels they could and should have done better following the wins over Omaha Brownell-Talbot.

All Logan View can do now though is move on and prepare for the next match.

The Raiders (2-19) host Lyons-Decatur Northeast (9-13) on Tuesday.

The Cougars went 4-3 last week, defeating Madison, Cedar Bluffs, Boys Town, and Clarkson/Leigh, but losing to Howells-Dodge, David City Aquinas, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast has stepped up their game as of late, and is playing better volleyball than they were at the beginning of the season.

More wins have come the Cougars' way, and they are sort of on a hot streak.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast has played a tough schedule with a lot of teams a class or two above them.

Logan View is another C-1 team the Cougars will look to knock off.

The Raiders have to raise their level of play on Tuesday. Logan View has to play with the attitude that Lyons-Decatur Northeast isn't going to come into their house and beat them.

The Raiders could very well lose, but if Logan View plays with a winning mentality and executes at the highest level possible, they might have a chance to make things interesting and pick up a win.

It's going to be tough given how both teams are playing right now, but anything is possible. The two teams appear to be going in opposite directions, but that's not to say the two teams can't flip flop directions by how they do in this match.

The Raiders have to remain positive and focused the whole time. A negative and losing attitude isn't going to get Logan View anywhere. A winning attitude and a belief that the job can get done is going to get this team places eventually.

Scribner-Snyder loses at home to Winside

The Scribner-Snyder Trojans competed well with Winside on Tuesday, but lost 3-2 at home.

Scribner-Snyder won set one 25-23 before the Wildcats took sets two and three 25-12 and 25-17. The Trojans bounced back to win set four 26-24, but Winside prevailed in set five, winning it 16-14.

Savanah Miller recorded 20 kills and 16 digs while Kaylee Boyle notched 13 kills and 13 digs. Mackenzy Schreck totaled 14 digs while Michaun Stucky registered 32 set assists.

Scribner-Snyder showed a lot of fight, toughness, grit, heart, desire, and determination on Tuesday. The Trojans came up short, but Scribner-Snyder played with the heart of a champion.

The Trojans (2-14) hope their efforts yield a win on Monday over Pender (3-13).

The Pendragons are 1-4 in their last five matches, losing 2-0 to Emerson-Hubbard, but beating Neligh-Oakdale 2-1 at the Pender Triangular on Thursday.

The Pendragons lost 2-1 to Clarkson/Leigh, Cross County, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family at the Clarkson Tourney on Saturday.

Like Scribner-Snyder, Pender has started to play better and come on as of late.

That should make for a very entertaining match between these two teams.

I look for the match to go at least four, maybe even five sets. I would be surprised if it was a sweep either way.

Both teams could really use a win. The Trojans could probably use it a little bit more than the Pendragons, but Pender should be very hungry for a win as well.

A win for Scribner-Snyder would be a good momentum booster heading into Thursday's road match at Mead.

The Pender match being on the Trojans' home floor should give Scribner-Snyder a better chance to win than it was on the Pendragons' home floor.

Pender 1-4 in last five matches

The Pender Pendragons are 1-4 in their last five matches, losing 2-0 to Emerson-Hubbard, but beating Neligh-Oakdale 2-1 at the Pender Triangular on Thursday.

The Pendragons lost 2-1 to Clarkson/Leigh, Cross County, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family at the Clarkson Tourney on Saturday.

Pender lost set one to the Warriors 25-17, but rebounded to win sets two and three 25-16 and 25-23.

The Pendragons dropped the first set to the Pirates 25-18, and lost the second set 25-15.

Pender took set one from Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 25-21, but lost set two 25-8 and set three 25-5.

The Pendragons nabbed set one from the Cougars 27-25, but lost sets two and three 25-17 and 25-10.

Pender took the first set from the Patriots 25-14, but lost the next two sets 25-23 and 25-21.

The Pendragons may only have one win in their last five matches, but I feel like this team took some steps in the right direction with their play on Saturday.

It's simply a matter of learning how to win and finish if you are Pender. The Pendragons put themselves in a position to win every match on Saturday, but couldn't get the job done.

Pender (3-13) is at Scribner-Snyder (2-14) on Monday.

The Trojans lost 3-2 to Winside on Tuesday.

I look for Monday's match to be close, intriguing, and entertaining.

I could definitely see the match going four, maybe five sets.

Both teams have showed signs of life lately so it's hard saying who is going to win.

I think if the Pendragons learn how to win close matches they can definitely get the job done on Monday. But Pender has to shut the door on Scribner-Snyder if they get the chance.

The Pendragons have to build on Saturday's matches and play even better on Monday.

It's a quick turnaround for Pender, but the Pendragons have to be ready to go. Pender can't come out sluggish and unprepared.

Pender can't really afford to get down by more than a set either. That's not to say the Pendragons can't come back from down 0-2, but it would be awfully difficult, especially with the match being on the road.

A win would serve as a good momentum booster heading into the Tekamah-Herman match on Tuesday.