Pender loses at Homer

The Pender Pendragons lost 3-2 at Homer Tuesday night.

The Knights won the first two sets 25-23 before the Pendragons won sets three and four 25-22 and 25-14. Homer took set five 15-10.

Pender did a nice job battling back and forcing a fifth set. Almost all the sets were close, and the Pendragons easily could have thrown in the towel after the second set, but they didn't.

Pender (9-11) battles Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (15-8) in the first round of the East Husker Conference Tournament in Genoa on Thursday.

The Bulldogs went 2-1 at their own invite on Saturday, downing Howells-Dodge and Clarkson/Leigh 2-1, but losing 2-1 to Twin River.

Both teams have been somewhat inconsistent this year, but Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family has played better volleyball after starting the season off slowly.

I think the Pendragons have a chance to compete and perhaps pull off the upset against the Bulldogs, but Pender has to be on top of their game.

The Pendragons have to find a way to win the close sets they lost against the Knights.

Taking the first set is probably a must for Pender if they hope to win. It's not to say the Pendragons couldn't come back and win two sets in a row, I just think it would be very difficult.

Pender has to close out Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family if they get the chance. The Pendragons can't afford to let things slip away if they have a chance to close things out.

Pender has to play their game, and not be intimidated by or scared of the Bulldogs.

These two teams played a five set match at Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family on September 27th with the Bulldogs winning 3-2 so these two teams will be no strangers to one another.

I look for the Pendragons to give Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family everything they want and then some.

I think Pender has a shot at the upset, I really do.

12's often beat 5's in the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament, and I look for that to come into play in this tournament as well perhaps.

The Pendragons must be on top of their game if they want to win. Only Pender's best effort will yield them a victory, in my opinion.

North Bend Central sweeps Tekamah-Herman and BRLD

The North Bend Central Tigers continue to play outstanding Volleyball, sweeping Tekamah-Herman 3-0 on the road Thursday night, and BRLD 3-0 at home Tuesday night.

North Bend Central downed Tekamah-Herman 25-8 in set one, and 25-18 in sets two and three.

The Tigers won the first set over the Wolverines 25-18, the second set 25-13, and the third set 25-12.

North Bend Central has been super impressive this season, and the Tigers simply continued to flex their muscles against Tekamah-Herman and BRLD.

North Bend Central (18-2) will take on either Tekamah-Herman (9-14) or Clarkson/Leigh (12-11) in the East Husker Conference Tournament in North Bend on Thursday.

North Bend Central hasn't played the Patriots yet this season, and of course just swept Tekamah-Herman.

I look for North Bend Central to beat either team, but I think NBC could be challenged more than they have in their last couple of matches.

Things will only get more difficult and challenging for the Tigers as the tournament progresses, which means North Bend Central has to continue to step up their game.

The Tigers are definitely capable of doing that though and continuing their winning ways.

North Bend Central is definitely the favorite to win this tournament, and I fully expect the Tigers to be in the championship on Saturday.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family could have something to say about that should the two teams meet in the semifinals, but North Bend Central has to continue to take things one match at a time.

NBC has to worry about beating Tekamah-Herman or Clarkson/Leigh before they worry about a potential matchup with the Bulldogs.

The Tigers have yet to lose to an East Husker Conference team this season so that's good news for North Bend Central.

The Tigers have to continue their dominate ways and not change anything from what they have done all season.

If North Bend Central plays the way they have in almost all of their matches this year, I don't see any way the Tigers don't at least make the championship.

North Bend Central is no doubt going to be challenged in the postseason so I think this tournament is going to help prepare the Tigers for a potential state run at the very least.

Tekamah-Herman 1-1 in last two matches

The Tekamah-Herman Tigers lost their second match of the week last week to North Bend Central, but rebounded to top Wisner-Pilger 3-1 at home Tuesday night.

Tekamah-Herman fell 3-0 at home to North Bend Central Thursday night.

North Bend Central took set one 25-8, and won sets two and three 25-18.

Against the Gators, the Tigers won set one 25-20 and set two 26-24, lost set three 25-21, but rebounded to win set four 25-22.

Liz Dlouhy paced the Tigers with 29 kills while Marin Jetensky registered 17.



Head Coach Becky Rennerfeldt says her team finally put it all together.

“A huge win, huge win for us. We’ve played really good sets this year, we’ve had some sets that are really good, but we’ve never had a full match against a good opponent like Wisner. And so to play that great of a full match feels really good.”



The win for Tekamah-Herman was only their second over Wisner-Pilger since 1997.

With the win, Tekamah-Herman improves to 9-14 on the year.



The Tigers take on Clarkson/Leigh (12-11) in the first round of the East Husker Conference Tournament in North Bend on Thursday.

“And this is the first time that we will ever play Clarkson/Leigh. We’ve never played them ever, at least in the six years that I’ve been here, and I don’t think that they have before that, so I honestly don’t know much about them. I’ve heard that they’re really scrappy and they have a good defense, so those are teams that are big challenges for us, we’re more of an offensive team. And hopefully we’re ready to play.” Rennerfeldt said.

The Patriots went 1-2 at the Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tournament on Saturday, beating Twin River 2-0, but falling 2-0 to Howells-Dodge and 2-1 to the host Bulldogs.

Clarkson/Leigh is a tough team that is playing good volleyball right now, but the same could be said for Tekamah-Herman after Tuesday night's match.

I look for the Tigers to build off of the Wisner-Pilger win, and play another good match on Thursday.

Tekamah-Herman picked a good time to put it all together with the conference tournament looming this week.

I think this match could go either way, and I look for it to go the distance.

The winner gets North Bend Central, and I'm sure Tekamah-Herman would really like another shot at them as I'm sure Tekamah-Herman feels they can play better than they did against NBC the first time, and are a better team now than they were when they took them on.

It's important for Tekamah-Herman to keep playing well, and build upon what they did on Tuesday.

I look for the Tigers to keep putting together good sets and matches, and turn the corner some at the end of the regular season.

I don't know if Tekamah-Herman will advance in the winners bracket beyond the North Bend Central match, but I think the Tigers have a chance to pick up 2 or 3 wins in this tournament, and compete well both days.

Clarkson/Leigh 3-3 in last six matches

The Clarkson/Leigh Patriots are 3-3 over their last six matches, losing 2-1 to Lutheran High Northeast, but beating Shelby/Rising City 2-1 at their home Triangular last Tuesday, sweeping Humphrey St. Francis 3-0 at home Thursday night, and beating Twin River 2-0, but falling 2-0 to Howells-Dodge and 2-1 to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family on Saturday at the Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tournament.

The Patriots took set one from the Eagles 25-19 before Lutheran High Northeast won sets two and three 25-15 and 25-9.

Shelby Paprocki notched 8 kills and 13 digs while Hannah Kasik recorded 7 kills. Halee Steffensmeier and Kaegan Held totaled 10 digs apiece with Held adding 22 set assists.

Clarkson/Leigh won the first set over the Huskies 25-21, and took set three 25-22 after dropping set two 25-15.

Hasik registered 14 kills while Paprocki posted 10 kills and 12 digs. Sydney Folken added 7 kills. Steffensmeier contributed 17 digs while Sarah McEvoy and Held chipped in 8 apiece. Beth Wiese came in with 7. Held also had 29 set assists.

The Patriots downed the Flyers 25-20 in set one, 25-19 in set two, and 25-16 in set three.

Kasik had a match-high 19 kills while Paprocki put down 11 kills and posted 10 digs. Steffensmeier notched 14 digs while Held registered 8 digs and 32 set assists.

Clarkson/Leigh dropped set one to Howells-Dodge 25-11, and lost set two 25-22.

Paprocki had 12 digs while Held dished out 12 set assists.

The Patriots beat the Bulldogs 25-22 in the first set before Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family took sets two and three 25-18 and 25-14.

Paprocki recorded 13 digs while McEvoy and Steffensmeier totaled 12 and 10, respectively. Held added 19 set assists.

Clarkson/Leigh downed the Titans 25-21 in the first and second sets.

Kasik had 8 kills while Steffensmeier and Paprocki chipped in 15 and 11 digs, respectively. Held contributed 21 set assists.

I think the Patriots have been playing some very good volleyball. 3-3 in a six match stretch may not seem like a big deal, but it is when you look at who Clarkson/Leigh played in those matches.

The Patriots (12-11) battle Tekamah-Herman (8-14) in the first round of the East Husker Conference Tournament in North Bend on Thursday.

Tekamah-Herman fell 3-0 at home to North Bend Central Thursday night.

I would say given the way Clarkson/Leigh has played lately they've got a fairly good chance to win, but these 8/9 seed matches are always tough to call.

Tekamah-Herman is the larger school so I think that sort of offsets how well the Patriots have been playing lately.

I fully expect the match to go the distance with the team making the fewest mistakes winning the match.

Clarkson/Leigh has to play with the same sort of confidence and attitude they played with last week.

The Patriots have to want it more than the Tigers, and have to outhustle and outwork Tekamah-Herman from start to finish.

North Bend Central will be waiting in the wings, but I'm sure Clarkson/Leigh would welcome a match with them.

The Patriots don't have an easy draw, but these sort of tournaments often make or define a team's season.

Clarkson/Leigh has to feel like they have nothing to lose, and must play loose.

No one is probably thinking the Patriots will go very far in this tournament so Clarkson/Leigh has to do their best to prove the doubters wrong.

Tekamah-Herman is definitely a worthy opponent, but I think if the Patriots play the way they did last week, they stand a good chance to win.

It will be interesting to see who wants it more and who really wants to play North Bend Central.

Howells-Dodge goes 2-1 at Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tourney

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars went 2-1 at Saturday's Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tourney, sweeping Twin River and Clarkson/Leigh 2-0, but losing 2-1 to the host Bulldogs.

The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 25-11 in set one, and 25-22 in set two.

Sam Brester led the way with 8 kills while Kalli Brester had 7. Tessa Brester dished out 18 set assists.

Howells-Dodge beat the Titans 25-17 in the first set, and 25-19 in the second set.

Erin Prusa paced the Jaguars with 7 kills while Tessa Brester registered 21 set assists.

Howells-Dodge took set one from Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 25-23, but dropped set two 25-23, and set three 25-18.

Kalli Brester had 11 kills for the Jaguars. Sam Brester posted 8 while Tessa Brester recorded 30 set assists.

Overall I thought Howells-Dodge played well. I was a bit surprised the Jaguars didn't put the Bulldogs away after taking set one, but you can't win them all.

Howells-Dodge (19-2) takes on Logan View (2-18) in the opening round of the East Husker Conference Tournament at home on Thursday.

The Raiders lost 3-0 at BRLD last Tuesday. The Jaguars swept Logan View 3-0 at home on September 15th.

This should be an easy win for Howells-Dodge, but the Jaguars need to play well and win handily to set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

It's very possible Howells-Dodge will see Stanton again so the Jaguars need to be on top of their game heading into that potential match.

Howells-Dodge gets the BRLD/West Point-Beemer winner in their second match, and I don't look for either one of those teams to be easy either.

The Jaguars need to be at their best in this tournament. Every set and match counts, and Howells-Dodge needs to step up and rise up to the challenge.

The Jaguars are definitely capable of winning this tournament and should be able to compete for the championship.

Sam, Kalli, and Tessa Brester all need to continue to perform at a high level for this team. All three had good matches on Saturday, and really led this team. I can't forget about Prusa either.

Howells-Dodge has to use Saturday's loss to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family as a rallying point. The Jaguars have to use the loss as motivation to play well in the conference tournament, and come away as champions.

There are some really good teams in this conference, and anyone is certainly capable of upsetting anyone, and making noise, but I definitely think Howells-Dodge is one of the top contenders.

I look for the Jaguars to play well on Thursday and throughout the tournament. I think fans will see Howells-Dodge on top of their game come Thursday and Saturday.

West Point-Beemer goes 1-2 at Wisner-Pilger Invite

The West Point-Beemer Cadets went 1-2 at the Wisner-Pilger Invite on Saturday, beating Neligh-Oakdale 2-1, but losing 2-1 to Wynot, and 2-0 to St. Paul.

The Warriors grabbed set one from the Cadets, 25-21, before West Point-Beemer went on to win set two 25-15, and set three 25-10.

The Cadets took set one from the Blue Devils, 25-23, before Wynot rebounded to win sets two and three 25-9 and 25-22.

The Wildcats defeated West Point-Beemer 25-16 in both sets.

I don't think the Cadets played bad, I just think West Point-Beemer ran into some tough competition. I think the Cadets played respectable Volleyball this past weekend.

West Point-Beemer (9-10) takes on Stanton (17-4) and Scribner-Snyder (6-11) Tuesday night at the Scribner-Snyder Triangular.

The host Trojans lost 3-1 at home to Mead Thursday night while the Mustangs fell 3-1 at Howells-Dodge last time out, which also happened to be on Thursday.

This is an interesting Triangular because Stanton still could be without the services of Jessie Brandl.

If she's back from mono then the Mustangs will be very dangerous, but if she's not, then Stanton is vulnerable.

I think the Cadets have a shot to win this triangular if Brandl is out.

I look for West Point-Beemer to get their best shot from Scribner-Snyder, but win.

The match with the Mustangs, on the other hand, is a toss up without Brandl.

I'm honestly not sure if the Cadets can beat Stanton if Brandl is playing so it will be interesting to see what happens.

West Point-Beemer has to prepare and be ready for both teams though. The Cadets will no doubt get both teams' best shots, and must be ready to fight hard whether they're behind or ahead.

West Point-Beemer has to put teams away when they have the chance.

The Cadets had a shot to put away Wynot on Saturday, but instead dropped the second set 25-9.

I know the Blue Devils are good, but if West Point-Beemer wants to become an elite, championship type team, those are the matches you must compete in better throughout.

The Cadets did a great job competing in sets one and three, I just feel like set two could have been closer.

Credit West Point-Beemer for what they've done so far this season though. I definitely feel this Cadets' program is headed in the right direction.

A triangular sweep on Tuesday would be absolutely huge for this team and the program as a whole so we will see if West Point-Beemer can get the job done.

There's a Marrow Donor Registry Drive from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and it's also Pink Out night.

Scribner-Snyder falls to Fremont Bergan and Mead

The Scribner-Snyder Trojans went 0-2 this week, falling 3-0 at home to Fremont Bergan Tuesday night before losing 3-1 at home to Mead Thursday night.

The Knights defeated the Trojans 25-13 in set one, 25-5 in set two, and 25-6 in set three.

Kaylee Boyle had 10 digs.

The Raiders took set one from Scribner-Snyder, 25-14, and won set two 28-26. The Trojans earned a 25-19 win in set three, but dropped set four 25-11.

Boyle totaled 9 kills and 8 digs while Nicole Boyle registered 8 kills and 20 digs. Savanah Miller added 9 digs and 21 set assists.

Scribner-Snyder really struggled this week. I think injuries are really hurting this team right now.

The Trojans (6-11) host West Point-Beemer (8-8) and Stanton (17-4) Tuesday night in their home triangular.

The Cadets have won four in a row and on a roll while the Mustangs have dropped their last two without Jessie Brandl in the lineup.

I look for both matches to be tough for Scribner-Snyder, regardless of if all the teams are at full strength or not.

There's a Marrow Donor Registry Drive from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

It's also Pink Out night.

Register to Save-A-Life. Ages 45 to 60 years are welcome to join online too. Go to http://joinbethematch.org/Trojan. Complete a form online and a swab kit will be mailed to you.

This should be a special night for all involved.

Nicole Boyle was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome in June of 2014.

She then underwent a bone marrow transplant two months later with her brother Craig being a match for her.

What a way to commemorate Nicole for overcoming this obstacle in her life.

I look for the Trojans to be inspired and play well on this night. I don't know if Scribner-Snyder will win either match, but Nicole overcoming this hardship in her life is already a win in itself.

I'm sure emotions will be running high in the gym among everyone.

It should be a successful night of Volleyball, regardless of which team you're rooting for.

Hopefully the turnout is good because I think Nicole and the rest of the Scribner-Snyder Volleyball team could use everyone's support.