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Created: 06 October 2023

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By JIM LUTGENS

Sports Editor

Less than a week earlier, the NRHEG High School volleyball team lost 2-0 to Blooming Prairie at the USC Invitational.

Want to guess what happened in the rematch?

It was another shutout, all right, but it was the Panthers picking up the 3-0 victory in New Richland Thursday, Sept. 28. NRHEG won 25-7, 25-9, 25-20.

"What a night!" said NRHEG coach Ashley Tolzman. "We had lost to Blooming last Saturday, and we came back ready to play."

And they did it despite not being at full strength.

"Despite losing a player during warm-up, our Panther ladies came together and played hard," said Tolzman. "We covered our court, set our blocks, and had fun. We had a moment in the third set where we started to get frustrated, but we were able to shake it off and get back on the court and finish the night in three. Way to go ladies!"

Individually for NRHEG: Gabby Schlaak 1 set assist, 7 kills, 9 digs; Izzy Stadheim 2 digs; Elsie Schultz 1 dig; Tayler Schmidt 8 kills, 1 block, 9 digs; Hallie Schultz 25 assists, 3 blocks, 13 digs; Keira Lenort 4 kills, 5 blocks, 1 dig; Madi Murray 5 kills, 3 blocks, 1 dig; Chloe Stork 3 kills, 2 blocks, 1 dig; Sydney Lewer 1 kill, 2 blocks; Faith Neilsen 1 assist, 19 digs.

Two nights earlier, the Panthers hosted Tri-City United and, despite winning 25-21 and 25-21 in the first two games, they fell short in five. The visitors won the final three games 25-21, 25-17, 15-11.

"We came out strong in the first and second," said Tolzman. "We covered the court well, communicated, set blocks and had some great swings. There were some really great volleys. Unfortunately, we lost the last three; our communication decreased as well as some defensive reads. Overall, there were several positive takeaways from the match. We will continue to build and make improvements each match. We are heading in the right direction.

Individually: Schlaak 4 kills, 2 blocks, 16 digs; Camryn VanMaldeghem 8 kills, 9 blocks, 7 digs; I.Stadheim 2 digs; E.Schultz 11 digs; Schmidt 4 kills, 4 blocks, 13 digs; H.Schultz 22 assists, 1 kill, 11 blocks, 18 digs; Lenort 7 blocks; Murray 6 kills, 6 blocks; Stork 1 kill, 1 dig; Neilsen 1 assist, 28 digs.

The Panthers, according to Tolzman, played some of their best volleyball of the season in the TCU Invitational Saturday, Oct. 30.

"Our girls played great," said Tolzman. "We went up against some really great teams and took first in our pool. Then we were knocked out by TCU, but it wasn't due to lack of effort. In the past week we have really been putting our defense together and playing strong."

The Panthers swept LCWM 2-0 in the first round, winning 28-26, 25-21.

Individually: Schlaak 33 kills, 5 digs; E.Schultz 2 digs; Schmidt 4 kills 2 blocks, 2 dig; H.Schultz 18 assists, 1 kill, 2 digs; Lenort 2 kills, 6 blocks; Murray 7 kills, 3 blocks, 1 dig; Stork 2 kills, 4 blocks; Nielsen 12 digs.

Next up was Glencoe-Silver Lake, whom the Panthers split with 26-24, 19-25.

Individually: Schlaak 1 block, 4 digs; E.Schultz 2 digs; Schmidt 10 kills, 1 block, 3 digs; H.Schultz 14 assists, 4 blocks; Lenort 4 blocks; Murray 4 kills, 7 blocks; Stork 1 kill, 4 blocks; Neilsen 1 assist, 7 digs.

The Panthers pounded Lester Prairie 25-17, 25-10.

Statistics: Schlaak 3 kills, 2 blocks; Schmidt 3 digs; H.Schultz 11 assists; Lenort kills, 4 blocks; Murray 5 kills, 5 blocks; Stork 1 kill, 1 block, 1 dig; Sydney Lewer 1 block; Neilsen 3 digs.

It was close against TCU, but the Panthers fell 25-23, 25-18.

Individually: Schlaak 6 kills, 7 blocks; E.Schultz 4 digs; Schmidt 1 assist, 1 block, 7 digs; H.Schultz 11 assists, 3 blocks, 2 digs; Lenort 4 kills, 1 block; Murray 2 kills, 1 block, 2 digs; Stork 1 block; Neilsen 8 digs.

The Panthers host JWP Oct. 5, play at Bethlehem Academy Oct. 9 and at Kenyon-Wanamingo Oct. 12.