The Official Newspaper for Foster County

Back from the brink: Thunder get 3-2 win over Cards

Historically, the final match of the season for the Carrington volleyball team has proved one to be very hard to pencil in as a sure thing.

A pair of set victories might have given the Cardinals a false sense of complacency, one that the M-P-B Thunder was all to eager to exploit.

When their backs were against the wall, the Thunder never said die, and rallied for a stirring 3-2 (21-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-13) victory to finish up the regular season for both teams ahead of their district tournaments.

Carrington (27-7 in all matches) kept the M-P-B hitting and runs in check for much of the first two sets, but the Thunder's aggressive nature and resilience began to wear them down starting in set three.

At times, the Cardinal back row passing struggled with the low, angled ceiling in Pingree, with hard ricochets disrupting their defensive composure and leading to less-than-optimal net attacks.

The Thunder's talented junior hitter, Allison Thomas, got going in the comeback. Her 24 kills kept the pressure on the Cards all evening.

But it wasn't just Thomas's show.

Sophomore middle hitter Maddie Gefroh put some good swings in for 15 kills, and freshman Brynn Sorenson, who had 11 kills of her own in the win, has become a very valuable addition to the offense in the M-P-B rotation this season.

With lots of kills come lots of sets to help create them, and senior setter Lilly Bohl put up one of her best statistical nights with 48 assists.

Carrington's hitters had success as well, as 13 kills each were struck by Madison Johnson and Haley Wolsky. Emma Hone was strong in her net game both on the attack and on the block, with nine kills and six stuffs.

Wolsky and Mya Schroeder had co-leadership in digs with 23 apiece, and sophomore Isabel Wendel had 27 assists, splitting time at the position with Kacie Rexin (10 assists of her own).

M-P-B's Alaina Bosche was busy in the back with 28 digs, and both Bohl and Thomas were close behind with 27 each. Gefroh also added three aces, as did Kennedy Wendel for Carrington.

M-P-B (21-10) earned the number three seed for the District 6 Tournament in Ashley last Friday, October 28, and took on sixth seed Kidder County in the second match of the evening following #4 Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter taking on #5 South Border.

Top-seeded Linton-HMB and #2 Strasburg-Zeeland earned first-round byes.

Semifinals continue today (October 31) in Ashley, and the region qualifiers and championship will take place on Tuesday.

Carrington took on Griggs/Midkota at the District 5 Tournament in Leal last Thursday. The final two days of that tourney are Friday, October 28 and today, October 31.

Region 3 Tournament play starts next Monday, November 7, in Napoleon. The champion advances to the State Class B Tournament November 17-19 in Bismarck.

Nondistrict Volleyball

M-P-B 3, Carrington 2

at Pingree

Cgtn. 25 25 18 20 13 - 2

M-P-B 21 19 25 25 15 - 3

Carrington Individual Stats

Kills: Madison Johnson and Haley Wolsky 13, Emma Hone 9, Isabel Wendel 5, Edyn Hoornaert and Kennedy Wendel 4.

Aces: K. Wendel 3, Kacie Rexin 2, I. Wendel and Wolsky 1.

Assists: I. Wendel 27, Rexin 10, Hoornaert, Johnson and K. Wendel 1.

Blocks: Hone 6, Hoornaert, I. Wendel and K. Wendel 2, Kaydence VanRay and Wolsky 1.

Digs: Mya Schroeder and Wolsky 23, Allison Jarrett 16, Rexin 14, I. Wendel 12, Johnson and K. Wendel 6.

M-P-B Individual Stats

Kills: Allison Thomas 24, Maddie Gefroh 15, Brynn Sorenson 11, Kelsey Vandeberghe 4, Cierra Mack 2.

Aces: Gefroh 3, Thomas 2, Alaina Bosche 1.

Assists: Lilly Bohl 48, Bosche and Thomas 1.

Blocks: Gefroh and Vandeberghe 1.

Digs: Bosche 28, L. Bohl and Thomas 27, Sorenson 18, Sophie Bohl 12, Gefroh 9, Vandeberghe 4, Mack 2.