Above: Viking volleyball finished off their regular season with two more wins. The Vikings have reason to celebrate—their record is an impressive 17-2. Right: Autumn Clearwater-Day delivered the kill that finished off the Two Harbors Agates at the home game on Thursday, October 14.
The Vikings finished off their regular season with two home matches against fellow North Shore teams. Lakeview Christian Academy came to town for a Tuesday night drubbing, followed by Two Harbors making the dreaded visit to take on the dominant Vikings.
With only one senior on the roster, the Lions knew they would be coming in as a heavy underdog to the much more experienced Vikings. Game one proved to play that out, with the Vikings strolling to a 10-6 advantage and then turning on the afterburners to close out L.C.A. 25-9. The last 15 points were a demonstration in efficiency, with the Vikings making minced meat of the Lions. Theresa Morrin went on an 8-point serving run which really stretched out the Viking lead.
Game two was, to be blunt, ugly. The Vikings looked like they were sleepwalking through the game, while the Lions picked up their intensity to make it close. With the slow play, the only people in the gym not asleep might have been the refs, and I think one of the line judges fell asleep. Holding a 19-17 lead, the Vikings woke up just in the nick of time. Brea Boomer delivered a major wake up call, hammering three of the next five points to give the Vikings a 25-18 win.
The Vikings came back a little bit stronger, playing with more fire and closing out the Lions in quick order 25-15. The sweep was completed on the shoulders of Kristina Rude, who led the team with 10 assists and 14 digs. Boomer led the Vikes with nine kills while Ashley Deschampe added six kills.
TheVikings got a chance to redeem themselves after a so-so game against L.C.A., with the Two Harbors Agates coming to town for a Thursday night clash. The 7AA Agates played the Vikings tough in the first game, matching every Viking point with one of their own. With the six Viking seniors playing the rotation was a little off-kilter, but Rude was able to find Boomer four separate times when they needed a point. Twice Boomer delivered kills from the back row to get the Vikes back on track before Autumn Clearwater-Day finished off the Agates with a kill of her own.
With things back in place the Vikings jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back, defeating Two Harbors 25-12. Deschampe had three service aces and Boomer just about knocked over a couple of Agates as she hit the ball extremely hard to close out the game. Thethird game was just a formality as the Vikings were rolling and easily won 25-18. Rude and Bekah Laky did a great job of passing and setting, mixing different options for a balanced attack.
Rude once again paced the Vikings with 13 assists and 12 digs with Laky adding nine assists. Boomer led the team with 12 kills, while Deschampe, Ali Iverson, Morrin, Clearwater-Day, and Linnea Leonard peppered in some kills of their own. The wins moved the Vikings’ record to an impressive 17-2, with only one match remaining, a huge showdown with the 24-1 Esko Eskomos. Look for scores and highlights of that game and information regarding the upcoming playoffs in next week’s edition.
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