NRHEG Volleyball players and fans celebrate after the girls win their first home playoff match since 2018. Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak
By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
The NRHEG Volleyball team continued their best season in ten years, defeating St. Clair three games to zero in its first home playoff match since 2018.
The last time the Panthers finished with a winning regular season record was in 2011 when they went 24-6 and came within “a whisker” of a sub section championship, narrowly losing to LeSueur-Henderson. And the last time the Panthers played for a sub section championship was in 2015 when they were swept by Kenyon-Wanamingo.
This Panther team hopes to do what those teams could not as they prepare for a Thursday night bout for the sub section championship in New Prague against high seed WEM.
The spikers hosted St. Clair Thursday, Oct. 28 and took all three games handily, by scores of: 25-18, 25-20 and 25-7.
“The girls competed for every single point,” NRHEG head coach Onika Peterson said. “It was great to get a win at playoff time.”
The Panthers handily took all three games, by scores of: 25-18, 25-20 and 25-7.
“Our defense moved well and had some huge saves for us,” coach Peterson explained. “They kept our quick tempo offense moving all night. Offensively we had a lot of kids getting some big swings, which was great to see.”
Individually for the Panthers: Faith Nielsen, 1 dig, 2 assists; Erin Jacobson, 10 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace serve; Sophie Stork, 15 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace block, 1 ace serve; Hallie Schultz, 29 assists, 2 digs, 1 ace block; Bree Ihrke 5 kills; Sarah George, 4 kills, 4 ace blocks; Rhys Martin, 1 kill, 1 assist, 2 ace blocks, 2 ace serves, Bailey Ihrke, 1 dig; Sidney Schultz, 15 digs, 2 assists, 1 ace serve.
The Panthers continued their run Monday night, traveling to Mankato East and defeating Maple River in the second round of section playoffs three games to one.
The Panthers dropped the first set 25-22, but as they have all season, didn’t give up, winning the final three games by scores of 25-18, 25-13, 25-23.
“I continue to be impressed with this group of girls,” coach Peterson said. “They fought for every single point tonight. There were a couple of times they could have stayed down, but they picked each other up, completed, and finished strong. It was great to see.”
Individually for the Panthers: Nielsen 1 ace serve; Jacobson, 6 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace block; Stork, 10 kills, 9 digs, 2 ace blocks, 1 ace serve; Bree Ihrke, 6 kills, 3 ace blocks; Hallie Schultz, 28 assists, 4 kills, 2 digs, 1 ace block; George, 3 kills, 5 ace blocks; Martin, 3 kills, 1 assist, 1 ace block, 1 ace serve; Bailey Ihrke, 1 dig, Sidney Schultz, 12 digs, 1 ace block.
Coach Peterson said anything can happen Thursday. “We need to play Panther volleyball and play our game. We are excited to have this opportunity.”
Thursday night the spikers travel to New Prague to play high seed WEM at 6 p.m.