Wisner-Pilger 4-2 so far this season

The Wisner-Pilger Gators are 4-2 so far this year having beat Tekamah-Herman and Allen 2-0 last Thursday at the Northeast Nebraska Classic, and Wayne 2-1 at the Classic on Saturday, before losing 2-0 to North Bend Central and 2-1 to Lutheran High Northeast on the same day.

Wisner-Pilger swept West Point-Beemer 3-0 on the road Tuesday night.

The Gators defeated Allen 25-17 in set one and 25-14 in set two.

Jayda Oligmueller had 12 kills while Maci Batenhorst totaled 11 kills and 7 digs.

Wisner-Pilger beat Tekamah-Herman 25-10 in the first set, and 25-17 in the second set.

Oligmueller finished with 7 kills.

Lutheran High Northeast nabbed set one 25-18 before the Gators took set two 26-24. The Eagles won the third and decisive set 25-12.

Batenhorst notched 16 kills while Oligmueller recorded 15 kills and 13 digs. Sutton Bellar added 12 digs while Allissa and Ashton Meyer registered 10 apiece. Lauren Jacobsen posted 7.

The Gators took set one from the Blue Devils, 26-24. Wayne won set two 25-19, but Wisner-Pilger won the decisive set three 25-22.

Batenhorst had a match-high 20 kills and 12 digs while Oligmueller totaled 14 kills and 10 digs.

The Tigers downed the Gators 26-24 in the first set and 25-19 in the second set.

Batenhorst totaled 8 kills and 7 digs while Oligmueller chipped in 7 kills.

Wisner-Pilger downed the Cadets 25-19 in set one, 25-21 in set two, and 25-20 in set three.

Batenhorst registered a team-high 17 kills while Oligmueller added 13 kills and 8 digs. Ashton Meyer posted 11 digs while Allissa Meyer and Jacobsen had 8 apiece.

Head Coach Jean Groth. "We had five blocks at the net that stopped play for them, and it looked like we had earned more kills than they did also at the net."

I think this Wisner-Pilger team is coming along nicely. I think the Gators are ahead of schedule, and newcomers have stepped up and contributed in a big way.

Wisner-Pilger (4-2) hosts North Bend Central (8-0) Tuesday night.

The Tigers swept Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 3-0 on the road Thursday night.

North Bend Central appears to be a team to be reckoned with once again this year so the Gators have to do what they can to challenge and compete with the Tigers again.

This is Wisner-Pilger's only match of the week so the Gators can focus solely on North Bend Central.

The Tigers are in action this weekend so Wisner-Pilger has to take advantage of the extra preparation time.

It's never easy to beat a team more than once in a season, and so the Gators have to be super pumped and motivated for this match.

Wisner-Pilger gets North Bend Central at home so the Gators have to be ready to roll from the start.

The Gators did a good job competing with the Tigers the first time the two teams met, especially in the first set, Wisner-Pilger just has to finish North Bend Central when they have the chance.

The Tigers are mighty tough, but the Gators are a really good team too.

Wisner-Pilger has to be ready to go blow for blow with North Bend Central.

The Gators have to take things one point and one set at a time.

Wisner-Pilger has to learn from mistakes and not dwell on them.

The ability to let things go and have a short memory will play a big factor in Tuesday night's match, in my opinion.

The team that makes the fewest mistakes and eliminates errors will most likely win the match.

Pender off to 3-4 start

The Pender Pendragons are 3-4 so far this year, having lost 2-1 to Lutheran High Northeast last Thursday at the Northeast Nebraska Classic, 2-0 to Guardian Angels Central Catholic at the Classic last Friday, before beating Oakland-Craig 2-1 and Allen 2-0 on Saturday, but losing 2-1 to BRLD the same day.

Pender fell 2-0 to North Bend Central, but beat Emerson-Hubbard 2-0 at the North Bend Central Triangular on Tuesday.

Lutheran High Northeast took set one from the Pendragons 25-18 before Pender won set two 25-22. Lutheran High Northeast claimed set three 25-6.

The Bluejays knocked off Pender 25-23 in set one and 25-17 in set two.

The Pendragons defeated the Wolverines 27-25 in set one before BRLD took sets two and three 25-15.

The Knights claimed set one 26-24 before Pender won set two 25-10 and set three 25-13.

The Pendragons beat Allen 25-22 in the first set and 25-13 in the second set.

The Tigers defeated Pender 25-9 in set one and 25-22 in set two.

The Pendragons downed the Pirates 25-21 in the opening set, and 25-15 in the second set.

Pender has played very competitive volleyball this season, in my opinion. The Pendragons have taken or competed well in a set against some of the good teams on their schedule, and has won the matches they were supposed to for the most part.

Pender (3-4) is at Logan View (1-4) Tuesday night.

The Raiders lost 2-0 to Tekamah-Herman and Twin River at the Twin River Triangular on Tuesday.

Logan View has yet to find their way this season, and the Pendragons hope the Raiders' struggles continue come Tuesday night.

Logan View's lone win is over Winnebago, and given the way Pender has played so far this season, you would think the Pendragons would win, but Pender still has to come ready to play and cannot afford to take the Raiders lightly.

The Pendragons probably should of beat BRLD. I feel that was a match Pender let get away.

That match is in the past though, and I'm sure the Pendragons have let it go, but hopefully Pender learned they have to do their best to play well in every match.

The week sets up nicely for the Pendragons, and if they can take care of business against both Logan View and Wakefield next week, they will find themselves above .500 heading into the Wisner-Pilger Triangular.

There's a long way to go and a lot of season yet for Pender, but the Pendragons are already doing better this year than they did last year.

I look for Pender to continue their winning ways next week, and pick up two wins.

Both matches are on the road against teams that are in higher classes than the Pendragons so both matches are huge opportunities for Pender to pick up some extra power points.

The Pendragons have to remain hungry and must keep their eye on the prize.

Next week is an important week for Pender, and the Pendragons have to come through and perform well.

Logan View starts season 1-4

The Logan View Raiders have started the season 1-4, losing 3-0 to Douglas County West on the road last Thursday night, falling 2-0 to David City, beating Winnebago 2-1 at the Fort Calhoun Invite on Saturday, and losing 2-0 to Tekamah-Herman and Twin River at the Twin River Triangular on Tuesday.

DC West defeated Logan View 25-10, 25-11, and  25-10. Raiders Coach Doug Bartek was without one of his star players due to knee problems. "We really did play hard, and we did do a lot of good things. I thought defensively we did a nice job. We did serve receive real well. I think we served pretty aggressively. So we found some positives that we could build on. And we hope to get Shay (Daugherty) back, but we'll just have to see how that turns out."

The Scouts knocked off the Raiders 25-16 in set one and 25-17 in set two.

Logan View defeated the Indians 25-18 in the first set and 25-11 in the third set while dropping the middle set 25-21.

The Titans downed the Raiders 25-16 in set one and 25-7 in set two.

Tekamah-Herman beat Logan View 25-19 in the opening set and 25-11 in the second set.

The Raiders are off to a difficult start this season, but at least Logan View has won a match and knows what it feels like to win.

The Raiders (1-4) host Pender (3-4) Tuesday night.

The Pendragons beat Emerson-Hubbard 2-0, but lost 2-0 to North Bend Central Tuesday night at the North Bend Central Triangular.

Pender appears to be an improved team over last season, but Logan View still has to view the Pendragons as a team they can compete with and beat.

The Raiders have to come out inspired and fired up, and cannot come out flat.

Logan View will have had a week to prepare for Pender by the time Tuesday rolls around so the Raiders should be plenty fresh for the Pendragons.

Pender should also be fresh and ready to go, which should make for a good match.

Logan View has to do their best to be competitive and win.

The Raiders have had a tough go of things so far, but a win over the Pendragons would no doubt get the season headed in the right direction for Logan View.

The Raiders have to take things one point, one set, and one match at a time, and continue to believe and play optimistic volleyball.

Logan View has to give each other positive encouragement on the court whether it be in practice or in matches.

The Raiders have to continue to fight and be scrappy. Logan View has to give an all out effort every time they take the court, and play with pride, passion, fire, toughness, tenacity, and grit.

The Raiders can't give up at any point this season. Logan View has to continue to do their best and believe that good things are still to come.

Howells-Dodge begins season 5-0

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars are off to a 5-0 start as they went 3-0 at the Winside Tournament over the weekend and downed Scribner-Snyder and Cedar Bluffs at their home triangular on Tuesday.

Howells-Dodge defeated Winside, Randolph, and Hartington-Newcastle 2-0 on Saturday before downing the Trojans 2-0 and the Wildcats 2-1 on Tuesday.

Howells-Dodge downed Hartington-Newcastle 25-8 in set one and 25-19 in set two.

Kalli Brester finished with 9 kills while Macey Kulhanek and Tessa Brester had 7 digs and 15 set assists, respectively.

The Jaguars downed the Cardinals 25-8 in both sets.

Sam Brester posted 7 digs while Tessa Brester totaled 10 set assists.

Howells-Dodge beat Winside 25-16 in the opening set, and 25-21 in the second set.

Tessa Brester finished with 18 set assists.

Cedar Bluffs took set one 30-28 before the Jaguars won set two 25-23 and set three 25-20.

Sam Brester notched a team-high 13 kills while Kalli Brester put down 11 kills and had 13 digs. Kulhanek registered 20 digs while Tessa Brester recorded 11 digs and 26 set assists.

Howells-Dodge beat Scribner-Snyder 25-17 in the first set and 25-15 in the second set.

Kalli Brester posted 9 kills and 10 digs while Kulhanek totaled 8 digs. Tessa Brester dished out 15 set assists.

The Jaguars have played superb volleyball so far this season. Howells-Dodge has played with the heart of a champion and appears to be primed and ready to make another run at state.

The Jaguars (5-0) host their own tournament on Saturday.

Howells-Dodge starts off with Elkhorn Valley (3-1).

The Falcons swept Niobrara-Verdigre 3-0 Thursday night.

Elkhorn Valley is a good team, but I give the Jaguars the advantage with it being on one of their home floors.

Howells-Dodge is an outstanding, tough volleyball team, and I look for the Jaguars to win this tournament.

Howells-Dodge has a lot of talent and gets the most out of themselves, and that's a combination that equals success.

The Jaguars will no doubt be challenged in this tournament and could face some adversity, but it shouldn't be anything Howells-Dodge isn't already used to.

The Jaguars are going to be tough for anyone to beat, including the Falcons, so teams better look out.

Howells-Dodge has to put fear in their opponents. The intimidation factor could go a long ways in helping the Jaguars pick up some easy wins not only in this tournament, but in other matches later on in the season.

Howells-Dodge knows they have to play really well being they're in C-2 and in a really difficult sub district, but this team knows how to win.

The Jaguars have been there and done that before so it should be another successful tournament for Howells-Dodge.

The Jaguars are in the business of winning championships, and a tournament win this weekend would be another notch in the belt for Howells-Dodge.

Tekamah-Herman 3-4 to start year

The Tekamah-Herman Tigers are 3-4 to start the season having knocked off Allen and lost to Wisner-Pilger 2-0 last Thursday in the Northeast Nebraska Classic before losing 2-0 to Guardian Angels Central Catholic and Fremont Bergan, and beating Wakefield 2-0 at the Classic on Saturday.

Tekamah-Herman defeated Logan View 2-0 and lost 2-0 to Twin River at the Twin River Triangular on Tuesday.

The Tigers defeated the Eagles 25-18 in set one and 25-11 in set two.

The Gators downed Tekamah-Herman 25-10 in the first set and 25-17 in the second set.

The Bluejays won set one 25-14 and set two 25-23.

The Knights took set one 25-13 and set two 25-17.

The Tigers won set one over the Trojans 25-21, and took set two 25-14.

Tekamah-Herman defeated the Raiders 25-19 in set one, and 25-11 in set two.

The Titans downed the Tigers 25-18 in set one and 25-19 in set two.

I think Tekamah-Herman is playing respectable Volleyball so far. The Tigers have only lost to good teams, and have take care of business against the teams they're supposed to beat.

Tekamah-Herman (3-4) will take part in the Boone Central Invite on Saturday.

I'm not sure who the Tigers play, but one team in the tournament will be Boone Central/Newman Grove.

I look for Tekamah-Herman to have a good day of volleyball. I think the Tigers have a chance to pick up a win or two in this tournament, and continue to improve.

Tekamah-Herman has to serve, serve receive, block, and hit well.

It's going to take a solid effort in all facets of the game for the Tigers to have success on Saturday.

Tekamah-Herman has to take what they've learned from past wins and losses, and apply it to Saturday's matches.

The Tigers can't be scared of anyone they play, and must be ready to give teams all they can handle.

Tekamah-Herman has to be motivated and excited to play the game of volleyball.

The Tigers have to play their game, and not let the crowd or anyone else affect how they play.

Tekamah-Herman has to do a good job dealing with any adversity that hits them, and must continue to fight and battle no matter what.

The Tigers can't ever give up no matter what the scoreboard says.

Tekamah-Herman has to play smart and competitive volleyball, and just have fun.

Communication is important as well. The Tigers have to talk to each other in regards to who is going to receive a serve, and if the ball is going to be in or out.

Oakland-Craig 2-3 so far

The Oakland-Craig Knights are 2-3 so far this season as they lost 2-0 to Wayne and Fremont Bergan in the Northeast Nebraska Classic on opening night before falling 2-1 to Pender in the Classic on Saturday. Oakland-Craig defeated BRLD 2-1 and Allen 2-0, also in the Classic on Saturday.

Bergan defeated Oakland-Craig 25-12 in set one and 25-15 in set two.

The Blue Devils beat the Knights 25-10 in the first set, and 25-11 in the second set.

Oakland-Craig beat Pender 26-24 in set one before the Pendragons notched a 25-10 win in set two and a 25-13 win in set three.

The Wolverines won set one 25-10 over Oakland-Craig before the Knights took set two 28-26 and set three 25-13.

Oakland-Craig downed the Eagles 25-17 in set one and 25-18 in set two.

Head Coach Chelsey Quigley says her team started out slow, but got things going over the weekend. "Yeah I would say that we got off to a little bit slower start than we would have liked, but I feel like we made a lot of progress in those two days, and we kind of found a little bit of a groove. And some girls stepped up, which we needed, and so I'm hoping that that just keeps carrying on over and we just keep improving on the year with that."

The Knights (2-3) host Scribner-Snyder (0-2) Thursday night.

The Trojans lost 2-0 to Cedar Bluffs and Howells-Dodge at the Howells-Dodge Triangular on Tuesday.

Quigley says it would be a big deal for her team to even up their record at 3-3. "I think it would be a big confidence boost for us. And I think it's very important for the girls to at least keep improving. And that's the important thing. So wins and losses we would like to see more wins on that column so hopefully we can do that."

I think Oakland-Craig has a good chance to pick up a win over Scribner-Snyder.

The Trojans are the more experienced team, but the Knights have had a couple of girls step up so that should really help them Thursday night.

I'm also not sure how familiar Scribner-Snyder is with Oakland-Craig, but I think the Knights are pretty familiar with the Trojans so it will be interesting to see what sort of impact that has on the match.

This match is a chance for the Knights to gain a little consistency, and continue to roll.

Oakland-Craig has a big triangular at Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family on Tuesday so the Knights definitely want to win Thursday night's match to gain momentum for that triangular.

We'll see how Oakland-Craig fares Thursday night. I look for the match to go four or five sets. I would be surprised if it was a sweep one way or the other.

First serve between the Knights and Trojans is set for 7:00 p.m. in Oakland. The match can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

Scribner-Snyder 0-2 to begin season

The Scribner-Snyder Trojans are 0-2 so far this season having fallen 2-0 to Cedar Bluffs and Howells-Dodge at the Howells-Dodge Triangular on Tuesday.

The Wildcats downed the Trojans 25-19 in set one and 25-10 in set two.

The Jaguars beat Scribner-Snyder 25-17 in the first set and 25-15 in the second set.

Kaylee Boyle had 8 digs while Savanah Miller totaled 7. Nicole Boyle added 8 set assists.

Head Coach Shelly Schulenberg says there were positives and negatives to take away from the losses. "Well I learned a little bit of the good and a little bit of the bad. The bad news is we didn't pass the ball very well and so therefore we can't run our offense very well. But when we did pass the ball I saw a lot of positive results with some good swings."

Scribner-Snyder (0-2) faces Oakland-Craig (2-3) on the road Thursday night.

The Knights lost 2-0 to Wayne and Fremont Bergan in the Northeast Nebraska Classic on opening night before falling 2-1 to Pender in the Classic on Saturday. Oakland-Craig defeated BRLD 2-1 and Allen 2-0, also in the Classic on Saturday.

Schulenberg says her team has hit well to come out on top. "If we just play smart ball, and I just told the girls that it's not all about power when you're hitting the ball, it's about placement. And they just need to really be smart when they're hitting the ball so that they don't make the easy mistakes and give away the easy point."

I think the Trojans can definitely be competitive and win this match if they hit well.

Mackenzy Schreck has been a bright spot for Scribner-Snyder, and I look for her to continue to play well.

I felt Scribner-Snyder was more competitive and consistent against the Jaguars, and I think there are things from that match the Trojans can take and apply to this match.

I think Scribner-Snyder has a chance to compete with Oakland-Craig, and win a set or two, if not the match itself.

The Knights started playing better on the final day of the Northeast Nebraska Classic though so we will see what happens.

It should be a good, close, competitive match with both teams playing at a high level.

First serve between the Knights and Trojans is set for 7:00 p.m. in Oakland. The match can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.