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St. Mary’s takes down Sleepy Eye in 5-set crosstown battle

By Jeff Meder

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s downed Sleepy Eye 24-26, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 on Tuesday in a Tomahawk-Valley Conference, Tomahawk Division volleyball match.

The St. Mary’s gym was filled to capacity to watch the two crosstown rivals battle it out. Nobody was disappointed with the action-packed — and very competitive — match. St. Mary’s had won 12 straight matches while Sleepy Eye had a three-match winning streak on the line. It was also the third time this season that the two teams had played each other.

“They came out with a game plan against us and they kind of took us by surprise, they came out with a game plan that we weren’t prepared for,” St. Mary’s head coach Karri Hoffmann said. “We changed out our blocking scheme. That really seemed to help us out defensively,” assistant coach George Schwint added.

Morgan Mathiowetz led St. Mary’s with 25 kills and 18 digs. Reese Hoffmann added 22 kills, while Josie Helget had 55 set assists and Natalie Fischer had seven digs.

Paige Haala had 21 kills and 17 digs for Sleepy Eye. Sam Price had 16 kills, nine digs and two blocks. Nora Coulson had 11 digs and two ace serves and Ava Kunkel added 40 set assists and six digs.

The Indians came out and played very aggressively during the first set, resulting in a victory. The Knights led for most of the set, but the Indians tied it at 20-20 on a double block. The set would be tied four more times as both team’s defense made plays. A kill gave the Indians the lead. Haala’s tip helped the Indians to take the first set.

“We wanted to be aggressive right away,” Sleepy Eye head coach Sydney Geiger said. “We wanted to fight back, finish the little things and stay consistent. Overall, we played well.”

Sleepy Eye carried that momentum into the second set when it held a lead for roughly the first quarter of the set. Both teams had good digs, returns and worked hard to gain the upper hand. St. Mary’s was determined to distance itself from Sleepy Eye.

St. Mary’s Ella Pollard recorded back-to-back ace serves. Later, Mathiowetz got a block and tip for a 24-22 St. Mary’s lead. Kailey Nelson’s block earned the set point.

The third set proved to be the one that turned the tide towards the Knights. The atmosphere resembled a playoff match. Sleepy Eye briefly had only one lead (4-3) early on. It kept trying to come back, but St. Mary’s found a way to remain ahead and win the set. Mathiowetz was a key player for St. Mary’s when she made plays to earn the set. She made a good return, a tip and a block for the winning margin.

Entering the fourth set, the question was who would take the momentum. The contest continued to be a back-and-forth one with Sleepy Eye held the lead briefly. St. Mary’s started to pull away several times, with Sleepy Eye coming back every time. Nelson’s kill brought the Knights within 1 point of the set. Mathiowetz settled the matter with a good return, which Sleepy Eye was unable to recover.

“You want to have competitive games. That’s what makes you stronger as a team,” coach Hoffmann said.

St. Mary’s (18-4, 5-2) will play at Madelia on Monday. Sleepy Eye (11-10-1, 1-7) will host Cleveland on Tuesday.

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