Rockets fall short

–#2 ranked Tommies take down Rockets in season opener

Kyrie Dauenhauer | Sep 04, 2023

Amy Wobbema count

NR-S senior, Lora Wobbema, reaches up in an attempt to block a hit from Thompson middle hitter Brenna Martin during the game against the Tommies on Tuesday, August 29. Wobbema led the Rockets in blocks with a total of four.

Amy Wobbema count

During the season opener against the Thompson Tommies, Kelsie Belquist secured the most digs for the Rockets with a total of 11. Belquist is shown here digging up a hit from a Thompson player.

by Kyrie Dauenhauer

The New Rockford-Sheyenne volleyball season has officially begun with their annual season opener against the Thompson Tommies.

Last season, both the Rockets and the Tommies were two of the eight teams in Class B volleyball to compete at the state tournament in Bismarck. The Tommies took fourth place at state, with the Rockets taking fifth.

With five returning starters for the Rockets – Kelsie Belquist, Lucy Meier, Lora Wobbema, Kaiya O'Connor and Ava Peterson – the NR-S volleyball team and head coach Sara Myhre hope to make their second appearance at the state tournament.

To start off the game, Thompson senior Addison Roller secured her first ace of the game. But K. Belquist came back swinging after Roller's second serve to add a point to the Rockets' score.

The first set went back and forth for most of the game, until Roller came back with three aces for the Tommies to bring the score 17-13.

At this point, the Tommies had started to gain their momentum with Reese Danner adding two kills to her stats, along with kills from Thompson middle hitter Brenna Martin.

Set one ended with a net violation by Meier, with the set score 25-18 in favor of the Tommies.

Set number two started similarly to the first, with the Tommies and the Rockets going back and forth. This set came with lots of net violations and service errors for the Rockets, to giving the Tommies easy points.

At one point, the Tommies held a 7-point lead over the Rockets. But with a serve receive error by the Tommies, the Rockets gained the ball back. Once again, the Tommies and Rockets were found going back and forth with points.

And with a big kill from Martin, the Tommies had taken set number two 25-22.

Set three followed with the same net violations and service errors for the Rockets, which allowed the Tommies to take the set 25-18.

Although the Rockets fell short in all three sets, they stuck up there right along one of the best teams in Class B volleyball.

K. Belquist led the Rockets in kills and digs with a total of 12 kills and 11 digs. Also with double digits in kills was Meier with a total of 10. As for the Tommies, Martin was the lone player to score in double digits with a total of 11.

NR-S senior, Lora Wobbema, led the team in blocks with a total of four, followed by Addysen Fandrich and K. Belquist each with two and Emmie Belquist with one. Martin led the Tommies in blocks with two.

The Tommies scored 14 points just from aces in the three sets against the Rockets. Josie Plain and Roller each secured five, with Dru Schwab and Martin following behind, each with two. As for the Rockets, between four girls they had secured seven points. Logan Cudworth led the team with three aces, followed by O'Connor with two, Peterson and E. Belquist with one.

Both the Rockets' B-Squad and C-Squad teams also fell to the Tommies, with the B-Squad team losing 2-1 and C-Squad 2-0.

On Tuesday, September 5, the Rockets will host the Medina-Pingree/Buchanan Thunder (A,B,C,8,7) in their home opener starting at 3:30 p.m. Following that game, the Rockets will travel to Leil on Thursday, September 7 to take on the Barnes County North Bison (A,C,JH) starting at 5 p.m.

Non-Region Volleyball

NR-S 0, Thompson 3

Tuesday, August 29

at Thompson

NR-S: 18 22 18 - 0

Thompson: 25 25 25 - 3

NR-S Stats

Aces: Logan Cudworth 3, Kaiya O'Connor 2, Ava Peterson 1, Emmie Belquist 1.

Assists: Peterson 26, O'Connor 3, Kelsie Belquist 2, E. Belquist 2, Cudworth 1.

Blocks: Wobbema 4, Addysen Fandrich 2, K. Belquist 2, E. Belquist 1.

Digs: K. Belquist 11, O'Connor 6, Peterson 5, Lucy Meier 2, Lora Wobbema 2, Cudworth 2, E. Belquist 1.

Kills: K. Belquist 12, Meier 10, Wobbema 5, E. Belquist 3, Peterson 2, O'Connor 1, Cudworth 1.