NR-S swats Hornets in four

The first jump into Super Region 4 volleyball for NR-S was a successful one, even though it wasn't a clean sheet in the end for the Rockets.

Coach Sara Myhre's club took the first two sets from the Harvey-Wells Co. Hornets, 25-20 and 25-19, but took a stunning 30-28 loss in set three with the visitors' backs against the wall.

The sudden momentum swing didn't matter in the end. NR-S came out like gangbusters in the fourth set, taking 11 of the first 12 points and rolling past the Hornets for a quick 25-6 victory and a 3-1 win Thursday evening, Sept. 26, in New Rockford.

In the first game, NR-S took control after a 16-16 tie, and also played the Hornets close in set two, trailing 10-9 at one point before pulling away in that game.

Set three featured a 22-18 late lead by the Hornets, before the Rockets came back to force extra points at 24-24. The teams would tie three more times in the set before HWC got the required two straight points to prolong the match.

Three different Rocket players had eight kills, those being Hannah Haley, Kayahna Hopfauf and Brianna Price, and Hopfauf also finished with a team-best four blocks. Kennedy Demester was on fire all night from the back line, as the sophomore collected eight aces.

Dani Bjerke finished with 35 assists for NR-S, and Cassie Longnecker had 22 digs.

For HWC (3-7, 0-2 Region 4), MacKenna Arnold and Leah Jans led the way with dual eight-kill efforts, and Jasmine Ripplinger had seven. Jennah Lematta finished with 17 assists in shared setter duties with Arnold (12 of her own.)

Super Region 4 Volleyball

NR-S 3, HWC 1

at New Rockford

HWC 20 19 30 6 1

NR-S 25 25 28 25 3 NR-S Stats

Kills: Hannah Haley, Kayahna Hopfauf and Brianna Price 8, McKayla Waldo 5, Chloe Heinz and Kindra Jacobson 3.

Assists: Dani Bjerke 35.

Aces: Kennedy Demester 8, Bjerke and Waldo 2, Cassie Longnecker 1.

Blocks: Hopfauf 4, Price and Waldo 2.

Digs: Longnecker 22, Bjerke 7, Haley 5, Demester and Price 4, Kenna Munson and Jacobson 1.

HWC Stats

Kills: MacKenna Arnold and Leah Jans 8, Jasmine Ripplinger 7.

Assists: Jennah Lematta 17, Arnold 12.

Aces: Olivia Lautt 2.

Digs: Lematta and Ripplinger 9, Jans and Lautt 8.

Junior Varsity

NR-S 2, HWC 1

C-Squad

NR-S 2, HWC 0

8th Grade

HWC 2, NR-S 0

7th Grade

HWC 2, NR-S 0