Two volleyball games for homecoming week

Ipswich won two high school volleyball individual matches last week, which was indeed homecoming week.

The Tigers started their busy week with a homecourt 3-1 victory over Sully Buttes last Tuesday. Their initial set resulted in a hard-fought 26-24 defeat. But after that there was no stopping the IHS girls. They won their second set 25-18 to even the match and then tacked on 25-16 and 25-20 wins to seal the deal. Baylee Kulesa clinched the second set with a pair of aces and Vanesa Diaz would do likewise in the third set.

They utilized a 97-121 evening at the net that featured 33 kills. Gracie Lange ended up 39-51 there and included 16 kills. Kulesa went 28-33 with seven kills and Quincy Olivier was additionally 16-16 at the net with six kills. The Tigers were 110-111 in setting and included 33 assists. Olivier was 87-88 with 27 assists and Madison Geditz 12-12,3.

Ipswich would get things started with a 75-85 serving effort that featured 10 aces. Olivier went 18-19 with four of those aces and Kulesa finished 20-22, with four aces as well.

Defensively the Tigers earned 63 team digs paced by Diaz with 18 and Kulesa with 11. Ipswich added one solo block and eight assists. Lange had three of their assists and Kaylin Onken two.

Then two nights later the Tiger girls would board their bus for a trip south to Sunshine Bible. They would return with a 3-0 straight-sets victory 25-14, 25-7 and 25-9, respectively.

One reason was Ipswich's net attack. The Tigers were unofficially 51-58 in hitting with 30 kills and Lange went 15-17 including a dozen of the kills. Kulesa added a 13-14, 5 evening at the net and Guthmiller was 8-9 with five kills.

Ipswich got a 48-48 three assists setting evening from Olivier to lead her team in that department and the Tigers dished out 25 total assists.

The Tigers finished 62-74 in serving and featured 19 aces, led by Olivier 12-15 with five of those aces. Lange was 15-16 with four aces.

Geditz led Ipswich with seven digs and Kulesa was next with three digs in a balanced team effort. And Guthmiller added a block.

The Tigers have a tough schedule this week. Tuesday they were scheduled to play Warner and then head to Northwestern on Thursday. Saturday they host a tournament. They'll host Potter County on Tuesday, Sept. 20.