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Powerful Wolves, purple hair can't slow RPAC champs
McCOOK, Neb. — The situation was growing hairy enough for Southern Valley without coach Jesse Thalheim continuing her colorful new “do” Tuesday night.
So when unbeaten Maywood-Hayes Center’s RPAC title match lead reached 6-0, the purple wig went flying faster than volleyball fans could say John Cook.
“I had to throw that baby off,” Thalheim declared about this titanic East vs. West collision of No. 1 seeds at the Graff Events Center. “The girls wanted me to wear it, it helps fire them up...but the thing just wasn’t meshing.”
Talk about meshing! The purple flying off almost instantly hit an “on switch” for Southern Valley.
Especially senior Grace Hogeland, who promplty served a 14-0 surge — that’s right — 14 cnsecutive points to quickly turn around this highly-anticipated showdown.
“That was a hard serve,” Wolves coach Kory Rohde said about Hogeland’s barrage.
A 6-0 deficiit suddenly became 14-6 in the Eagles’ favor.
When the Wolves returned a Grace serve, S.V. teammates Lauryn Samuelson and sophomore Krista Best were often ready to boom downkills.
Samuelson was a picture of rapidly-approaching storms when lightning and thunder just keep getting closer:
Zap....boom! Zap...boom! Zap..BOOM!
Barely a second separated set to point once Samuelson warmed up.
The Eagles (22-4 record) simply weren’t stopping their quest for a second RPAC volleyball title in three seasons.
Senior Jenny Moenning was another “striker” who stepped up to power the eventual 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 28-26 Eagle victory.
Both Moenning and Samuselson have made great returns from injuries last season.
“Lauryn overstretched a ligament and it kept popping her kneecap out of place,” Thalheim explained. “And Jenni came back from ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) repair. They both did a great job tonight and for us all year.”
However, a narrow two points deciding two sets shows how the Wolves often matched S.V. almost point for point.
Senior Avery Johnson really took charge along the front line following that close opening defeat. She ripped 16 kills to match her total in Tuesday’s earlier semifinal win over Wauneta-Palisade while also putting down three stuff blocks.
Junior Jaycee Widener drilled 17 kills with a team-leading six ace blocks.
Freshman Olivia Hansen also showed no signs of RPAC “rookie nerves” with seven kills.
Freshmen classmates Ashlin Broz (14 points, 1- assists) and Lexi Wood (seven points, two aces) are two other fantastic reasons why the Eagles are 26-1 this season.
“They don’t play like freshmen,” Rohde confirmed. “I credit a lot to having a very good junior high program.”
“Maywood-Hayes Center has an amazing team. They’re going to great things at their districts,” Thalheim also observed.
However, the Eagles just seemed to be a step or jump or point ahead throughout much of Tuesday’s title match.
Senior Madison Henderson served some crucial points late in one of the sets while classmate Mandy Schoen showed why she’s a real libero.
“Mandy made some great defensive plays,” Thalheim confirmed. “It as a total team effort.”
Of course, Schoen knows about winning titles on the Graff Events Center floor. Southern Valley took both the RPAC volleyball and basketball finals at MCC in 2017-18.
The Wolves didn’t disappoint during their historic first RPAC title match as a consolidated school.
They shook off the 2-0 deficit to control that third-set victory. They blasted in front several times during Tuesday’s finale, but Southern Valley seeemingly always answered.
Both the Wolves and Rohde knew there was no reason to get too disappointed about this one defeat.
“Tonight will only make us better as a team,” Rohde concluded. “We learned a lot that we can use down the road this season.”
Besides the top performers already mentioned, senior Jaycee Lapp delivered 23 assists for M-HC and served 15-for15 with eight points.
Freshman Kiley Hejtmanek added four assists on 17-of-18 setting.
Both teams will finish their regular seasons this week leading into subdistrict volleyball tournaments next week.