Staff photo by Ari Selvey Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Jenna Bates (far left), Jessica Meunier (14), Olivia Hammer (left-center facing camera), Tori Ringen (right-center facing camera) and Alexis DeVos (far right) celebrate with Graysie Black (1) after she delivers an ace serve to win a set against Maple River during a South Central Conference volleyball game Tuesday at MVL High School.

NEW ULM — Despite three significant injuries to the squad, Minnesota Valley Lutheran overcame Maple River in a South Central Conference volleyball match on Tuesday, defeating the Eagles 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23.

The Chargers came into the game missing two defensive specialists in Taryn Gunderson and Izzy Wurster, but junior libero Jessica Meunier stepped into the starting lineup and helped buoy the MVL defense.

“We had some injured DSs in practice yesterday, and we put in another reserve DS who I think stepped up wonderfully,” MVL head coach Johanna Kelly said. “And then the people who are usually in also stepped up really great. We got some good defensive looks that put us in system for our offense. It was really just a matter of understanding there’s a job to do and helping each other out to do that job.”

Also during the third set, sophomore setter Nora Krueger exited the match with injury, leaving freshman setter Graysie Black to step up into a full-time role.

“It can be kind of shocking to switch from a 6-2 to a 5-1 where you have your setter going all the way around,” Kelly said. “Again, it was a conversation that that’s what’s necessary right now, and everyone has a job and everybody has a role, and executing what you’re supposed to be doing was going to be the key to winning. I thought they all stepped up really well and did what they needed to so.”

With the win, MVL improves to a 5-5 record, 1-1 in conference, recording the most wins through 10 games by the program since the 2019 season.

Jenna Bates led the Chargers with 19 kills, 17 digs, three blocks and an ace, while Olivia Hammer had 12 kills, 11 digs and two aces. Marley Schauer had five kills, 13 digs, two blocks and an ace, and Ellie Kaesermann had four kills, seven digs and four blocks. Black added 33 set assists, six digs and an ace.

The teams were even in the first set, battling to a 15-15 tie. MVL went on a 5-1 run, led by a kill by Schauer and blocks from Kaesermann and Alexis DeVos, to take a 20-16 lead and force a Maple River timeout. Maple River fought to cut the lead to 20-19, but a 4-0 run, headed by kills from Bates and Schauer, to win the set 25-20.

MVL kept the momentum going into Set 1, taking a 7-2 lead on a block from Tori Ringen. The Chargers maintained a an 11-6 lead to force a Maple River timeout thanks to a kill from DeVos and an ace from Hammer, then extended it to a 17-7 as they continued a 9-1 run, with Bates collecting two kills and a block. The Eagles battled to cut the lead to 18-13, but an MVL timeout sorted out the errors, and MVL won the set on an ace from Black.

MVL and Maple River again played it close in set 3, and a kill by Bates saw the Chargers with just a 19-18 lead. However, Krueger was injured on the next point, and MVL was unable to recover before Maple River squeaked out a 25-23 win.

Maple River continued to seize the momentum, taking a 6-0 lead to start Set 4. However, an MVL timeout helped settle things, and MVL fought back to an 8-8 tie on a kill from Hammer.

“We keep taking hits, as every team does,” Kelly said. “But when you add injury in there, it’s another hit. I think they did a really good job of demonstrating that grit, that mental toughness and even when they would get down because of an error or whatever it may be, their teammates did a good job of picking them up too. It wasn’t just relying on yourself, but relying on your teammates to make sure your mental game is in check too.”

The teams went back and forth, with MVL going up 16-13 for a brief moment. However, the Eagles went on a 5-0 run to take an 18-16 lead, putting the Chargers on their heels. MVL battled with a kill from Bates and two Maple River errors to tie it a 19. Black got in a rhythm with quick sets down the stretch, with DeVos and Schauer both earning kills off of them. Those kills helped MVL take a 23-22 lead, and a pair of strong kills from Bates sealed the set and the match for the Chargers.

MVL plays at Le Sueur-Henderson on Thursday.