Molly LaVigne, shown here making a nice play on the ball, had a great game against the Wrenshall Wrens. The Vikings advanced to play the top ranked Carlton Bulldogs in the Section 7A playoffs. Staff photo
Despite the wild, windy, rainy weather outside, on Monday, October 21, the Pam Taylor gym was filled with loyal, loud fans as the Viking volleyball team took on the visiting Wrenshall Wrens in Section 7A playoffs.
It was a wild match!
The Vikings started hot, taking an 11-3 lead, many of the points coming on short volleys ending on mis-hits by Wrenshall, who didn’t seem like they were ready to play early in the game.
The action warmed up on the 12th point. The Vikings’ libero Alyssa Spry dove and picked a ball off the floor that looked unplayable. The Vikings’ front line somehow got the miraculous dig over the net and Brooke Kent, the Wrens’ best outside hitter, twice spiked it back into a wall of Viking defenders who were blocking at the net, with the Vikings picking up the hard-earned point. That long volley drew loud, boisterous cheers from the crowd.
Sparked by that great play, and some great serving by Paige Everson and Morgan Starkey, the Vikings rolled to a 25-11 win. It looked like it was going to be a quick night, but as they say, looks can be deceiving.
Sadie Wilson waits for a high floating serve to come down so she can bump it to the frontcourt.
Early in game two, the sleepy Wrens woke up. The Vikings had ruffled their feathers, and the battle was on. Behind the great play of Magdalene Sowada, the Wren libero, and outside hitters Brook Kent and Lillian Vanderpoel, the Wrens flew to a 25-19 game two win.
Katie Peck started game three with a hard spike, and Morgan Starkey made two great serves to give the Vikings a quick 3-0 lead. Paisley Smith used a soft touch to tip the ball over the net to give the Vikings a 5-1 lead, and the Wrens called a timeout.
The Vikings kept pressing, however, with Paisley slamming a spike through defenders for the 7th point, and Charlet Waver coming back with a crushing serve to give the Vikings an 8-3 lead.
A short rally by the Wrens made it 9-6, and Viking coach Marlene Wester called a timeout. Coming out of the huddle, the Vikings ran off four points, the 13th on a significant spike by Emmalli Myers. With the score 14-8, Molly LaVigne made three hard serves that were all but unplayable. The teams traded points until it was 19-11.
A big spike by Katie Peck gave the Vikings a 20-11 lead, and Emmalli Myers blasted one crosscourt, hitting the line to make it 21-11. Charlet Waver served the last five points in the Vikings’ 25-12 win, and it looked like the Wrens were done.
However, the Wrens regrouped, and game four was a test of wills and, ultimately, skills.
Down 9-5, Paisley Smith found the donut hole for a point, and then, up to serve, Smith crushed the ball for an ace to make it 9-7. The Wrens went up 14-9 with the Vikings fighting back, getting within three points 16-13. The teams traded points, and Morgan Starkey served long to give the Wrens a 19-14 advantage.
That brought Brooke Kent up to serve. Kent blistered two aces past the Viking defenders to give the Wrens a 21-14 lead. A timeout by the Vikings settled the team down.
Working hard at the front line, Paisley Smith spiked the ball into the Wrens’ backcourt to give the Vikings their 15th point. On the next play, the Wrens hit out of bounds to make it 21-16. Next, Charlet Waver served an ace. The Wrens couldn’t keep Waver’s next serve in play, and once again, Charlet served up an ace to make it 21-19.
As the Vikings’ fans rose to their feet, the Wrens scored the next two points. Behind Katie Peck’s hard serves, one for an ace, the Vikings rallied back to tie and take a 24-23 lead.
Wrenshall stormed back to tie and then take a 25-24 lead. Once again, Vikings’ coach Wester called a timeout.
With the game on the line, Emmalli Myers spiked the ball to make it 25-25. Bianca Zimmer made a great serve that bounced hard off of a back row Wren player and out of bounds, and the Vikings led 26-25. On the next play, Molly LaVigne tipped the ball over the Wrens’ front line to give the Vikings their 27th point, and the 27-25 win. While jubilant players cheered exhausted, happy fans filed from the gym.
Katie Peck led the Vikings with 14 kills and 10 set assists. Molly Lavigne finished with 18 set assists and six ace serves and Alyssa Spry had 36 digs and two ace serves.
The Wrens’ Jenna Johnson finished with 12 set assists, 21 digs, and four ace serves. Brooke Kent ended her night with 18 digs and six kills and Maggie Sowada had 27 digs.
The Vikings moved on to play top-ranked Carlton on Wednesday, Oct. 23 in Carlton.
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