Panthers open section tourney at TCU
It hasn’t been an easy fall season for coach Onika Peterson and the NRHEG volleyball team, and the struggle continued last week.
The Panthers hosted a pair of matches to finish the regular season and lost 3-0 to Kenyon-Wanamingo on Monday and 3-1 to United South Central on Tuesday.
The Panthers fell to 1-7 in the Gopher Conference, 9-16 overall.
“We have been competing the last couple games,” said Peterson. “We just haven’t been able to pull out the win.”
Kenyon-Wanamingo defeated the Panthers 25-20, 25-12, 25-14.NRHEG leaders: Anna Stork 5 kills; Maddie Wagner 4 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace block; Abby Wacholz 4 kills, 3 ace blocks; Hailey Schuller 4 kills; Marnie Wagner 3 kills, 9 digs, 1 ace block; Anna Lundberg 9 assists, 3 digs; Rachel Collins 10 assists; Alyssa Esplan 7 digs.
The Panthers competed with USC but dropped the match 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 29-27.
“We came out flat in the first game and parts of game two,” said Peterson. “Games three and four we really battled.”
Individually: Stork 15 kills, 3 digs, 4 assists, 3 ace blocks; Ryann Hagen: 9 kills, 1 ace block; Marnie Wagner 9 kills, 8 digs, 1 ace block; Wacholz 5 kills, 2 digs, 1 assist, 3 ace blocks; Maddie Wagner 3 kills, 9 digs; Lundberg 20 assists, 10 digs; Schuller 2 digs, 4 assists; Remi Wayne 8 digs; Esplan 5 digs; Collins 15 assists.
The Panthers are seeded fifth among eight teams in Section 2AA South. They open tournament play Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at No. 4 seed Tri-City United. The winner plays Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at Mankato East High School.