Lady Tigers get two wins

The Ipswich Lady Tiger volleyball team earned a pair of wins in two recent appearances. The Lady Tigers edged Edmunds Central 3-1 last Thursday in Roscoe and then topped Eureka/Bowdle 3-1 on Monday in the Tiger Den. That was a Lake Region Conference affair.

A sidenote to the win over Edmunds Central, according to coach Trent Osborne, was that this year's senior players had played varsity volleyball as ninth graders with the head coach from EC, Langley Secker Manzey.

"Also last night (against EC) we changed some player positions and the speed of our offense and we struggled a little during games one and two," Osborne explained. "But once we figured out the serve-receive patterns and rotations, we picked up the pace of the offense and did some nice things in games three and four. We have five more practices and that match with Eureka-Bowdle to figure things out before we head to the Potter County tourney, which will play a big part in where we end up being seeded in the Region Tourney."

Ipswich indeed managed a 25-17 win over EC in their opener in Roscoe, but the hosts returned the favor with a 25-17 win of their own to even things at 1-1. But as Osborne explained, Ipswich regrouped for 25-15 and 25-13 wins, respectively, to defeat the scrappy Lady Raiders.

Ipswich totaled 140 hits including 38 kills, led by Abby Grabowska with a 58-62, 23 kills evening. Avery Sylte was next at 18-21 with six kills. Edmunds Central countered with 18 kills among its 97 total hits. Ipswich was 150-151 in setting, led by Bailey Pitz with a perfect 72-72 effort which included 23 assists. Next was Halle Heinz at 62-63 with 11 assists.

Ipswich also utilized an effective serving strategy with a 86-91 effort, featuring 10 aces. Lindsey Grabowska was 24-27 with four aces and Abby Grabowska, 12-12 with three aces. Overall the hosts were 72-84 at the line, with eight aces. That kept the Lady Tigers serve-receive team quite busy, led by Chesney Olivier with 34 digs. Abby Grabowska was next with 23. Ipswich totaled 122 digs; EC, 57. Mehlberg had an assisted block and a solo block.

Ipswich came up with 108 digs, paced by Chesney Olivier with 32 and Abby Grabowska with 28. The Lady Tigers added one solo block and three block assists (Sylte one solo and two assisted and Heinz, two assisted).

The homecourt win over E-B was equally difficult if not even more so. Ipswich controlled the opening set 25-12, but then lost a hard-fought 25-23 outcome that deadlocked the match at 1-1. Ipswich needed a late rally over its visitors for a 26-24 win of the third set and then clinched the match with a more decisive 25-14 victory.

Ipswich's net attack featured 60 kills, led by Abby Grabowska, 75-82 with 30 kills. The Patriots countered with a 125-145 hitting evening with 21 kills. Ipswich's setting effort was again led by Pitz at 98-98 with 31 of Ipswich's 50 assists. In serving, Ipswich was really effective with a 86-99, 12-aces evening. (The visitors were 74-76 with three aces.) Individually Abby Grabowska led the Lady Tigers at the line, going 14-16 with four aces.

Defensively, Ipswich recorded 157 digs, led by Abby Grabowska's 35.

Ipswich will next attend that huge Potter County invite on Saturday. Then Ipswich will host Mobridge-Pollock in a battle of the Tigers on Monday, Oct. 8 in the Tiger Den.