Warriors fire past Falcons in opening win

Arapahoe’s Melonie Meyers worked on the hitting skills that led to a match-high 13 kills with 10 digs and four ace serves Friday vs. Hitchcock County.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

Dominant kills and covering the home floor with digs decided Arapahoe’s three-set opening win over Hitchcock County on Friday.

The area foes played three tight sets as Arapahoe prevailed 25-21, 25-23 and 29-27.

Senior Melonie Meyers’ triple-double of 13 kills, 10 digs and 18 serve receives led the Warriors’ super season opener after finishing 3-23 a year ago.

Meyers matched Hitchock’s 13 kills as a team while junior Joslyn North and senior Alayna Whipple teamed to send another 13 shots through the Falcons’ defense.

Overall, Arapahoe drilled a 30-13 kill advantage.

Yet the real domination was floor defense, where those Warriors made an amazing 64 digs to Hitchcock’s 18.

Senior Morgan Deisley’s 13 digs was followed by sophomore Terri Hilker (12), North (10) and Meyers (10).

Deisley also delivered a Warrior-leading 23 assists.

Senior Isabell Sheets’ nine digs and seven ace serves paced the Falcon attack.

Hitchcock did control some net attacks with eight stuff blocks to Arapahoe’s one.

Junior Amanada Horinek stuffed Warriors four times among her 10 blocks.

Sheets joined juniors Allison Hoyt and Kassidy Kisker in pounding four more stuffs to the Warriors’ home court.

However, 13 hitting errors cost the Falcons during those close sets.

A final rundown of leaders for both teams:

Warrior kills: Meyers 13, North 8, Whipple 5. Falcons: Horinek 4, Hoyt 4, Kisker 3.

Warrior ace serves: Meyers 4, Hilker 2. Falcons: Sheets 7, Hoyt 2, Horinek 2.

Warrior assists: Deisley 23, Hilker 2. Falcons: Sheets 10, Hoyt 3.

The Warriors and Falcons will meet again at Thurdsay’s Arapahoe Triangular. Dundy County-Stratton’s the third team scheduled to compete.

Raiders

drop opener

WALLACE, Neb. — The Wallace Wildcats served up a 25-12, 25-20, 25-18 season-opening win over Medicine Valley on Friday.

Junior Alex Ellermeier’s seven kills powered the Raiders, but they drilled only 11 kills total from 51 attempts.

Senior Haylee Evans served two aces while matching classmate Rachel Lashley’s five digs.

Lashley added eight assists for Med Valley. The Raiders are moving on to their next match at Sutherland Friday.