West Point-Beemer 4-2 in last six matches

The West Point-Beemer Cadets are 4-2 in their last six matches, losing 2-1 to Wayne and 2-0 to Arlington last Tuesday at the Wayne Triangular, and beating Norfolk Catholic 3-1 last Thursday night, DC West 2-1 and Oakland-Craig 2-1 at the their home Triangular this past Tuesday night, and Madison 3-0 at home this past Thursday night.

The Cadets took the first set from the Blue Devils, 25-23, before Wayne won set two 25-19, and set three 25-15.

The Eagles downed West Point-Beemer 25-18 in the first set, and 25-9 in the second set.

The Knights won the first set over the Cadets, 25-23, before West Point-Beemer won the next three sets 25-22, 25-19, and 25-17.

The Falcons took set over the Cadets, 27-25, before West Point-Beemer earned a 25-16 win in set two, and a 25-22 win in set three.

The Knights won the first set against the Cadets, but West Point-Beemer bounced back to win the next two 25-21 and 25-22.

The Cadets won set one over the Dragons, 25-13, and took set two 25-21, and set three 25-16.

I think West Point-Beemer is playing some great volleyball. Anytime you win four in a row you're doing something right.

The Cadets (8-8) take part in the Wisner-Pilger Invite on Saturday.

West Point-Beemer figures to get challenged and see some good competition on Saturday.

I think the host Gators are one team that can push and challenge the Cadets.

Wisner-Pilger swept West Point-Beemer 3-0 in the Cadets' season opener, but I feel West Point-Beemer is an improved and different team since that time.

I think the Cadets have a shot to continue their recent success, and have a big day on Saturday.

This team appears to be coming along nicely and is starting to put things together.

West Point-Beemer has to continue to work hard and be focused though. The Cadets can't get complacent or satisfied with where they're at at the moment.

West Point-Beemer has to want more, and has to continue to have the drive and determination to keep getting better.

I feel the Cadets are capable of turning in their best effort and playing some good Volleyball on Saturday.

I think West Point-Beemer has a chance to be over .500 by day's end.

That would be a huge accomplishment for this team, who is still pretty young.

The Cadets are having a very respectable season, and setting themselves up for success at the end of the regular season.

West Point-Beemer has a lot of winnable matches left yet this season, and could make some noise in next week's East Husker Conference Tournament.

I think the Cadets have done a lot of nice things this season, and will continue to be successful the rest of this year and in the future.

Stanton 2-2 in last four matches

The Stanton Mustangs are 2-2 in their last four matches, defeating Tekamah-Herman and Oakland-Craig 2-0 at the Oakland-Craig Triangular last Tuesday before falling 3-0 at Wayne last Thursday.

Stanton lost 3-1 at Howells-Dodge Tuesday night.

The Mustangs beat the Knights 25-15 in set one, and 25-16 in set two.

Bree Burwhistle totaled 10 kills and 17 set assists while Jessie Brandl notched 8 kills. MacKenzie Brandl posted 8 digs while Makenna Espinoza notched 11 set assists.

Stanton downed the Tigers 25-13 in the first set, and 29-27 in the second set.

Burtwhistle registered 11 kills and 14 set assists while Jessie Brandl recorded 8 kills and 8 digs. MacKenzie Brandl posted 8 digs. Espinoza added 10 set assists.

The Blue Devils downed the Mustangs 26-24 in the first set, 25-22 in the second set, and 25-21 in the third set.

Burtwhistle contributed 13 kills, 20 digs, and 18 set assists while Ashley Cowell totaled 8 kills. Allie Spence chipped in 7 kills while MacKenzie Brandl notched 35 digs. Espinoza had 15 digs and 12 set assists while Katie Brandl chipped in 8 digs.

Howells-Dodge defeated the Mustangs 25-19 in set one, 25-18 in set two, and 25-21 in set four. Stanton took set three 25-20.

Burtwhistle led the way with 18 kills, 18 digs, and 21 set assists. Hannah Heppner had 12 kills while MacKenzie Brandl posted 24 digs. Katie Brandl and Kiley Wiedeman totaled 13 and 10 digs, respectively, while Espinoza dished out 19 set assists.

This is a much different team without Jessie Brandl. Other players have done a nice job stepping up in her absence, but the Mustangs need her back as soon as possible.

Stanton (17-4) takes on West Point-Beemer (8-8) and Scribner-Snyder (6-11) in a Triangular on Tuesday.

The Cadets swept Madison 3-0 at home Thursday night while the Trojans lost 3-1 at home to Mead, also on Thursday night.

Things could be mighty interesting if Jessie Brandl still isn't back by Tuesday.

If I'm the Mustangs I'm more worried about West Point-Beemer than I am Scribner-Snyder purely based on the fact the Cadets are a C-1 school and the Trojans are D-2, but neither team can be underestimated if Brandl is still out.

Stanton needs to have other girls step up like they have so far in Brandl's absence, but the Mustangs need to get enough production from all to win.

If you look at stats, Stanton looks like they're doing enough to win, but yet they aren't.

The Mustangs have to dig deep and find some answers for their last two losses.

Stanton is definitely capable of winning without Brandl, they just need to figure out a winning formula without her.

Someone needs to step up and be a leader for the Mustangs. Someone needs to take control and be vocal.

Stanton really needs Brandl back in a big way, there's just no telling how long it's going to be before she's back.

The Mustangs need to figure out a way to win without her with the East Husker Conference Tournament coming up next week.

Next week is a big week for Stanton whether they have Brandl or not. The Mustangs need to step up and play well, and bring their best to be successful.

Wayne and Howells-Dodge are two very good teams, but I feel Stanton would of been much more competitive against both if Brandl had played.

I'm not saying the Mustangs would have won either match, but I think things would have been different.

With that said, now is not the time to panic if you are Stanton.

Howells-Dodge wins Clarkson/Leigh Tournament; knocks off Stanton

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars won the Clarkson/Leigh Tournament on Saturday, defeating Oakland-Craig and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 2-0, and David City Aquinas 2-1, before beating Stanton 3-1 at home Tuesday night.

The Jaguars beat the Knights 25-20 in set one, and 25-21 in set two.

Kalli Brester had 11 kills and 7 digs while Jessi Brester totaled 10 digs. Sam Brester and Macey Kulhanek notched 9 digs apiece while Tessa Brester recorded 7 digs and 19 set assists.

The Monarchs took the first set 25-12 before Howells-Dodge won the second set 25-17, and the third set 25-18.

Kalli Brester posted 17 kills and 7 digs while Sam Brester notched 8 kills. Kulhanek added 12 digs while Tessa Brester registered 8 digs and 25 set assists.

The Jaguars downed the Bulldogs 25-23 in set one, and 25-18 in set two.

Sam Brester finished with 9 kills while Kulhanek, Hailey Coufal, Kalli Brester, and Haley Eikmeier had 14, 11, 9, and 8 digs, respectively. Tessa Brester dished out 24 set assists.

Howells-Dodge defeated the Mustangs 25-19 in set one, 25-18 in set two, and 25-20 in set four. Stanton took set three 25-21.

Kalli Brester totaled 19 kills and 10 digs while Sam Brester posted 13 kills. Kulhanek recorded 22 digs while Tessa Brester and Emily Ritzdorf chipped in 11 and 10 digs, respectively. Tessa Brester added 41 set assists.

Head Coach Neil VanLengen says his team is starting to figure it out. "We are starting to learn what it means to play hard on every point.  Against Aquinas in the finals of the C/L tournament, we got beat 25-12 in the first set because we didn't play hard enough.  The girls made the commitment to play hard on every point, and to be more aggressive hitting and serving, and it helped us come back and win.  The first two sets against Stanton, this continued as we played very hard. We let down a little in the 3rd, but came back strong in the 4th for the win."

VanLengen adds his team was ready for the Mustangs even though Stanton was without one of their star players. "We just realize that we have to play hard all the time, and we did a great job against Stanton. With Jessie Brandl out with mono, the girls still did a great job of being focused to get a win against a very good team."

VanLengen says his squad had an advantage in certain aspects of the game, according to stats. "Both teams had the same amount of kills and serve receive percentage was the same, by my calculations.  We had 5 more blocks, 6 more ace serves, and 10 fewer hitting errors."

Howells-Dodge (17-1) has the Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tourney on Saturday.

VanLengen says the Jaguars need to be focused on Saturday and be over the Stanton win. "We treat every game, and every point as its own entity. Whatever has happened in the past is over, the most important point of our season is the next one."

Howells-Dodge has the East Husker Conference Tournament next week, and then a tough match at North Bend Central after that, so the Jaguars have to remain focused and keep on winning.

All this leads up to Sub District play. VanLengen says they haven't seen the last of the Mustangs. "Again, with Jessie Brandl out, it gives us a little confidence, but they will be very motivated when we play them in Conference and Sub-Districts.  I think those will be some of the most intense games that I have ever been a part of."

It's certainly possible that Stanton and Howells-Dodge could meet in the East Husker Conference Tournament in Sub Districts, and as VanLengen said, those would be great matches.

The Jaguars have to concern themselves with the Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tournament this weekend though.

Howells-Dodge has to come out and play well, and have good matches on Saturday.

The Jaguars have to really want it, and have to be driven to have success.

Howells-Dodge has done some marvelous things this season, but there's still plenty of work to do.

Now is not the time to celebrate if you are the Jaguars.

There's still the conference tournament, sub districts, a district final, and state should Howells-Dodge make it that far.

The Jaguars have done some great things this year, but Howells-dodge has to keep their foot on the pedal, and want more.

The Jaguars have to keep the mojo going on Saturday.

Pender goes 1-2 at Clarkson/Leigh Tournament; tops Tekamah-Herman

The Pender Pendragons went 1-2 at the Clarkson/Leigh Tournament on Saturday, beating Oakland-Craig 2-1 before losing 2-0 to David City Aquinas and 2-1 to Clarkson/Leigh.

Pender came back on Tuesday and beat Tekamah-Herman 3-2 at home Tuesday night.

The Monarchs beat the Pendragons 25-16 in the first set, and 25-18 in the second set.

The Patriots won set one over Pender, 25-13, and took set three 25-23. The Pendragons won the middle set, 25-23.

Tekamah-Herman won set one over the Pendragons 25-19. Pender earned a 25-16 win in set two, and won set three 25-19 to go up 2-1. The Tigers won set four 25-22 before the Pendragons prevailed in set five, 15-10.

Pender has been up and down this season, but when the Pendragons are on, they are on.

Pender (9-10) travels to Homer (8-12) on Tuesday to take on the Knights.

Homer lost 3-0 at home to Dakota Valley, SD this past Tuesday.

Nothing really stands out as far as one team having an advantage over the other, at least when looking at the schedule.

The match being in Homer should be to the Knights' favor, but the Pendragons have won at home and away this year so I don't think going on the road really phases Pender in any way.

I look for the Pendragons to come out swinging and ready to go.

I think you will see an aggressive Pender team take the floor on Tuesday. A team hungry and ready to make a run before season's end.

The Pendragons have quite a few tough, but winnable matches left before the postseason.

Having success against the Knights and in the East Husker Conference Tournament could very well go a long ways in dictating success for Pender in their matches after next week.

It's time for the Pendragons to get things going, and I think Pender started doing that against Tekamah-Herman.

Now it's a matter of the Pendragons doing that again against Homer and in the East Husker Conference Tournament.

Next week is a big week for Pender Volleyball, and I fully expect the Pendragons to step up and perform well.

These matches over the next couple of weeks are going to define Pender's season, in my opinion.

There has to be a sense of urgency and purpose among the team. The Pendragons have to step up and play their best volleyball of the season from here on out.

Oakland-Craig 0-5 in last five matches

The Oakland-Craig Knights went 0-3 at the Clarkson/Leigh Tournament on Saturday, and lost to West Point-Beemer and Douglas County West at the West Point-Beemer Triangular on Tuesday.

Oakland-Craig lost 2-0 to Howells-Dodge, and 2-1 to Pender and Cross County on Saturday.

The Falcons downed the Knights 2-0, and the Cadets beat Oakland-Craig 2-1.

The Jaguars beat the Knights 25-20 in set one, and 25-21 in set two.

Oakland-Craig won set two over the Cougars 25-21 while Cross County won sets one and three by the same score.

DC West defeated the Knights 25-22 in sets one and two.

Oakland-Craig took the first set from West Point-Beemer before the Cadets won set two 25-21, and set three 25-22.

I thought the Knights really competed hard and well on Saturday and Tuesday, they just came up short in every match.

Oakland-Craig (4-19) hosts Logan View (2-18) and Fremont Bergan (13-5) in a Triangular on Tuesday.

The Raiders lost 3-0 at BRLD last time out while Bergan won 3-0 at Scribner-Snyder this past Tuesday.

I think Oakland-Craig will beat Logan View, but I'm not sure about Oakland-Craig beating Bergan.

I think Oakland-Craig will be competitive, and has a chance to make things close and interesting, I just don't know if Oakland-Craig can perform well enough to knock off Bergan.

It has been a tough season for Oakland-Craig, but I feel the Knights have a shot to win some matches before the regular season ends.

I could definitely see Oakland-Craig pulling an upset or two in the East Husker Conference Tournament, and play the roll of spoiler.

I think the Knights have a chance to be successful in their remaining regular season matches following conference regardless of how Oakland-Craig fares next Thursday-Saturday.

There's not a lot of time left for the Knights to get things turned around, so Oakland-Craig needs to make some noise as soon as possible.

I think Oakland-Craig can perhaps take a set from Bergan, or at least make things close in two sets should that be all the match goes, giving Oakland-Craig the needed momentum and confidence to make some noise in the East Husker Conference Tournament.

I think Oakland-Craig made some strides on Saturday and Tuesday. Now it's just a matter of building off those matches, and turning those losses into wins in the coming weeks.

It's not too late for Oakland-Craig. The Knights have to keep battling and fighting hard, and get over the hump.

Oakland-Craig is definitely capable of doing that and making a little run before season's end.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic 1-2 in last three matches

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Volleyball team is 9-6 on the season following Tuesday night's 3-0 sweep of Battle Creek.

Prior to that, the Bluejays lost 3-2 at home to Hartington Cedar Catholic Thursday night, and 3-0 at home to Bishop Neumann last Tuesday night.

The Cavaliers topped GACC 25-12 in set one, 25-11 in set two, and 25-16 in set three.

Maddie Knobbe finished with 9 kills while Kali Stratman totaled 8 digs and 18 set assists.

The Trojans won the first set 25-17 before the Bluejays won the second set 25-22. Cedar Catholic took set three 25-21 before GACC forced a fifth set by winning the fourth set 25-18. The Trojans earned a 15-13 win in the fifth set.

Knobbe registered 22 kills and 12 digs while Allie Knobbe posted 7 kills. Ally Plagge recorded 13 digs while Stratman contributed 11 digs and 43 set assists. Brooklyn Bailey added 7 digs.

The Bluejays took the first set from the Braves, 25-19, and won the second set 25-18, and the third set, 25-11.

Maddie Knobbe totaled 18 kills and 7 digs while Plagge notched 18 digs. Lisa Gatzemeyer chipped in 10 digs while Stratman recorded 7 digs and 27 set assists.

Head Coach Kate Hagemann says she's still looking for her team to reach their potential. "We've talked a lot with this team. We're young and inexperienced. But at some point I'm still confident that they're going to grow up and they're going to realize their potential. And hopefully as the end of the year comes near they'll start doing that."

Guardian Angels Central Catholic travels to Wisner on Thursday for a Triangular with Lutheran High Northeast and Wisner-Pilger.

Hagemann says all three teams are familiar with one another. "Well I expect the entire night to be a lot of good Volleyball. When we're playing, when Lutheran's playing, when Wisner's playing, we're pretty familiar with each other. We've played each other a lot in the past years. And we've already played Lutheran once this year."

The Eagles swept the Bluejays 2-0 in the Northeast Nebraska Classic on September 1st.

I think GACC is a better team now than they were then though.

The Bluejays appear to be getting some things figured out at the right time.

GACC has played at a really high level in their last two matches.

I think the Bluejays have a shot at a sweep Thursday night.

Both Wisner-Pilger and Lutheran High Northeast are very tough, worthy opponents, but GACC is a team to be reckoned with too.

Maddie Knobbe and Stratman need to continue to be forces for the Bluejays offensively.

GACC has to ride their offensive production, and continue to get solid defensive efforts from players like Plagge and Gatzemeyer.

I think you will see the Bluejays play well Thursday night.

I definitely think all three matches have a good shot to go the distance, but I feel GACC has a good chance to prevail in both matches.

The Gators could certainly win the Triangular too, and the Eagles can't be counted out, but I think the Bluejays have the best chance of taking it based on how they're playing.

GACC has to do their best to slow down Jayda Oligmueller and Maci Batenhorst in the Wisner-Pilger match.

Those two make the Gators go, and are big factors for Wisner-Pilger night in and night out.

The Triangular is set to get underway at 5:00 p.m. on 107.9 the Bull.

Wisner-Pilger beats Madison, falls to BRLD

Wisner-Pilger is 9-7 on the season following a Double Triangular split with BRLD and Madison last Tuesday night at home.

The Gators downed the Dragons 25-13 in set one, and 25-10 in set two.

Jayda Oligmueller posted 10 kills while Maci Batenhorst had 7. Ashton Meyer notched 8 digs.

The Wolverines beat Wisner-Pilger 25-23 in the first set, and 25-18 in the third set. The Gators took the second set 25-15.

Oligmueller had 19 kills and 10 digs while Batenhorst totaled 10 kills and 10 digs. Allissa Meyer registered 11 digs while Ashton Meyer and Lauren Jacobsen notched 10 and 9 digs, respectively.

Head Coach Jean Groth says her team's success is measured by the game itself.  "Well I guess one of the things that I always work on, not just this season, is to not let the wins and losses define us. To just try and be the kind of team that controls serving, tries to control the opponent's serving with our passing, try to be driven by execution goals, and those kind of things."

Wisner-Pilger hosts Guardian Angels Central Catholic and Lutheran High Northeast in a Triangular Thursday night.

Groth says both opponents present different challenges."Well I think both programs have great tradition. And this year I think Lutheran High brings a lot of pressing issues with their serve and also their speed of their offense to the outside is a little quicker than a lot of teams, and so that presents a little different problems to your defense. GACC also has a strong middle attacker whose done a lot of good things for them and so defending her will also be a challenge."

The Bluejays are 9-6 on the season while the Eagles are 14-8.

GACC swept Battle Creek 3-0 at home Tuesday night while Lutheran High Northeast defeated Clarkson/Leigh and Shelby/Rising City 2-1 at the Clarkson/Leigh Triangular on Tuesday.

I think the Gators have a good chance to be successful Thursday night.

I think the Bluejays are starting to come on, and the Eagles are certainly a tough team too, but I feel Wisner-Pilger is right up there with both teams.

I wouldn't be surprised if all three matches went the distance on Thursday.

I think the Gators have a shot at a sweep, and at the very least, will split.

This is no easy Triangular, but Wisner-Pilger is at home, and I think the Gators are primed, ready, and due to sweep a home Triangular.

It may happen, it may not, but one way or another I look for Wisner-Pilger to play some good Volleyball Thursday night.

I look for Oligmueller and Batenhorst to have big matches offensively for the Gators, and for Allissa Meyer, Ashton Meyer, and Jacobsen to do their part defensively.

I think it will be a successful night of Volleyball for Wisner-Pilger, win or lose.

I think the Gators will hold their own in these matches, and have a chance for a sweep.

Getting the first match is critical though. Wisner-Pilger doesn't want to have to hope for a split after dropping the first match. It's harder to win that second match after a loss in the first one as opposed to if the first match was a win, in my opinion.

The triangular is set to get underway at 5:00 p.m. on 107.9 the Bull.