Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Rockets end season with win, defeat Dunseith again in regional play-in

In the last three days of the 2019 regular season, the NR-S Rocket volleyball team got pretty well acquainted with the Dunseith Dragons.

One match came about when it did as a weather postponement, the other for one team’s right to keep their season alive in the Region 4 Volleyball Tournament in Devils Lake starting this past Monday.

The Rockets put a bow on Super Region play with a 3-1 win over the fire-breathers, 20-25, 25-13, 25-13 and 25-16, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Dunseith, and delivered an encore victory at home on Thursday night, Nov. 7, in the region play-in match by three straight wins, 25-17, 25-16 and 25-14.

The first game with the Dragons was originally scheduled for Oct. 10, but was moved ahead almost a month due to a pre-winter snowstorm which battered the area around that period.

In NR-S’ wins, junior outside hitter Kayahna Hopfauf provided leadership in the kill category in both matches, walloping 20 in the first outing and 12 more to help send the Rockets to Devils Lake.

McKayla Waldo and Hannah Haley also had their offensive games operating to perfection, with Waldo hitting six and seven kills in the pair of matches and Haley adding eight and six. In the regular season match, Mya Cudworth also tallied seven kills.

Setter Dani Bjerke had 64 total assists against Dunseith, while Cassie Longnecker combined for 41 digs. Bjerke and Haley also struck three service aces apiece in the qualifier.

Dunseith’s season ended at 5-18 with the defeats.

Entering as the fifth seed, the Rockets (14-16 entering Region 4 tourney play), were paired up with fourth seed Benson County (14-8) in the second match of play at the Sports Center on Monday.

In additional first-round matchups, top-seeded Langdon/Edmore/Munich (34-3) faced #9 Dakota Prairie (4-19), #2 North Star (22-5) took on #7 Harvey-Wells Co. (15-18) and #3 Rolla (17-8) played #6 St. John (17-12) in the nightcap.

Super Region 4 Volleyball

NR-S 3, Dunseith 1

at Dunseith

NR-S 20 25 25 25 — 3

Duns. 25 13 13 16 — 1

NR-S Stats

Kills: Kayahna Hopfauf 20, Hannah Haley 8, Mya Cudworth 7, McKayla Waldo 6, Chloe Heinz 4, Cassie Longnecker and Brianna Price 1.

Aces: Haley 2, Dani Bjerke, Cudworth, Kennedy Demester and Longnecker 1.

Assists: Bjerke 38, Cud-worth and Price 1.

Blocks: Hopfauf 4, Waldo 3.

Digs: Longnecker 23, Bjerke 13, Haley 12, Demester 11, Cudworth 3, Heinz and Hopfauf 2.

Junior Varsity

NR-S 2, Dunseith 0

(25-12, 25-9)

C-Squad

NR-S 2, Dunseith 0

(25-11, 25-14)

Region 4 Volleyball Tournament Play-in Match

#5 NR-S 3, #12 Dunseith 0

at New Rockford

Duns. 17 16 14 — 0

NR-S 25 25 25 — 3

NR-S Stats

Kills: Hopfauf 12, Waldo 7, Haley 6, Heinz 2, Cudworth and Price 1.

Aces: Bjerke and Haley 3, Cudworth 2, Kindra Jacobson 1.

Assists: Bjerke 26, Cud-worth 1.

Digs: Longnecker 18, Kenna Munson 4, Haley 3, Bjerke, Cudworth, Hopfauf and Price 1.