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Raiders outlast Tigers in 4-set battle

By Ari Selvey 4 min read

NICOLLET -- After dropping the first set of a nonconference volleyball match against Springfield, Nicollet rallied to take the next three sets to win 18-25, 25-19, 25-21, 26-24 on Monday.

"I liked our hustle," Nicollet head coach Sara Gieseke said. "Getting ready and hitting the ball as soon as it was passed. The girls have really been working on their transition from defense to hitting, and I liked their quickness on that. We do have to talk a little bit more, but other than that, I'm really proud of the girls and how much they worked and hustled."

The set was characterized by several long rallies as the teams both put up strong efforts. But in the end, the Raiders were the team that stood strong the longest to come away with the win.

Madison Kettner led the Raiders with 14 kills and 24 digs, while Megan Soost had 10 kills and two blocks. Zoie Rengstorf had 24 set assists Lydia Martens had 16 set assists and Chloe Kachelmeier had 15 digs.

"I think [Springfield] did a really good job of coming back and fighting hard," Springfield head coach Alissa Roiger said. "Just need to continue to work on minimizing errors. Something that has been a struggle for us for a few matches, but we're getting better at that. They battled hard and they're figuring out how to dig deep and come back. That's something we've been working really hard on these past couple of years."

Springfield took the lead first in Set 1, going up 12-6 after a pair of kills by Kendall Krueger and two aces from Harlow Moody. Nicollet called a timeout, but the Tigers maintained some distance, responding to kills from Jacelyn Wilking and Chloe Kachelmeier with kills from Gabby Schenk and Krueger to maintain a 19-15 lead. Three kills by Olivia Simonson helped Springfield close out the first set 25-18.

"I think we were figuring out our defense, blocking well and picking up balls," Roiger said. "Offensively, they were setting it up and putting it away."

Springfield again held an early lead in Set 2, with a kill by Olivia Milbrath putting the Tigers up 7-4. Nicollet stayed strong, however, fighting back to tie the game at 14, with an ace by Kettner giving the Raiders a lead. Nicollet got a pair of kills from Wiliking to increase that lead, then Soost closed out the match with a kill to give the Raiders a 25-19 victory.

The teams traded points to start Set 3, with neither side gaining much of an advantage. Nicollet broke away with a kill by Payten Otto making it an 18-14 game, but Springfield got a pair of kills by Schenk to help tie it again at 18. However, the Raiders put together a 3-0 run, capped off with an ace by Kachelmeier, to take the advantage once more as a kill by Jazmyn Goettlicher gave Nicollet the 25-21 win.

The Raiders kept up the attack in Set 4, holding a 9-5 lead after a kill by Brielle Osborne. A pair of kills by Kettner set the score at 19-13, but the Tigers fought back, going on a 6-0 run, with Schenk earning a block and a kill in the stretch, to tie the game at 19. Nicollet responded with a quick 3-0 run as Cheyenne Klockziem and Wilking both took kills to go ahead once more, but two kills from Krueger helped Springfield cut the lead back to 23-22. A kill by Harlow Moody tied the game at 24, but Nicollet escaped with the win after two Springfield errors to win the match.

"I think it's confidence in themselves and their teammates," Gieseke said. "Just because they practice so hard together, they know they can do it. Even if they are down, they're able to come back and show they have the maturity to be down and come back."

Nicollet (8-6) hosts Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton on Tuesday, while Springfield (4-4) hosts Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop on Tuesday.

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