New Ulm depth tested in 4-set win over Waseca
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Mazy Kitzberger (6) celebrates with the rest of her team during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Gracie Baker gets a dig during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Kiera Sullivan tips the ball over the net during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Karly Meier hits the ball during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Mazy Kitzberger (6) celebrates with the rest of her team during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Gracie Baker gets a dig during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Kiera Sullivan tips the ball over the net during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Karly Meier hits the ball during a Big South Conference volleyball match aganist Waseca Tuesday at New Ulm High School.
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NEW ULM -- While New Ulm head coach Christine Skoglund would have preferred a sweep, she was still happy with how the Eagles closed out a 25-12, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20 win over Waseca in a Big South Conference volleyball match on Tuesday.
"It took almost my whole bench," Skoglund said. "I had a lot of new substitutes today, and they did a great job when the substitutes when in. But we also needed to get our hitting back to normal from that second set, which we did. But in the third set, we even needed to do better on defense, which we did that fourth set.
New Ulm had to rely on its depth during the match as the team is playing with a host of injuries.
"We had four injuries two weeks ago," Skoglund said. "We have two of our injured players back, so that's helped. It will get better once we have everybody back on our starting lineup, but for right now we just need to get used to each other -- get used to running a 5-1 instead of a 6-2 because our setter Lily Poehler is out. Just knowing it and having the confidence on the court that we can win against anybody."
Karly Meier led the Eagles with 16 kills and four digs, while Leah Brustad had eight kills and seven digs. Mckenna Hulke had 23 set assists and 13 digs, while Calli Koop had four kills and 16 digs. Keira Sullivan added four aces and 15 digs.
Sullivan opened the match with a pair of kills as New Ulm took a 6-3 lead. A kill by Brustad made it an 11-5 lead, then New Ulm closed out the set with a 10-2 run as Meier, Sullivan and Hulke all earned kills for a 25-12 win.
Waseca got off to a strong start in the second set, going up 10-6 as New Ulm called a time out. The Eagles responded with a 5-0 run, with Brustad and Mazy Kitzberger earning kills, to take an 11-10 lead. The Bluejays didn't go away, however, as the lead went back and forth between the teams through the middle portions of the set. An error by Waseca tied the game at 22, but the Bluejays ended the set with a 3-0 run to even the match score.
Waseca scored the first 3 points of the match, but New Ulm fought back, tying the game at 7 on a kill by Meier. Waseca held a slim lead for several serves, but New Ulm tied it again on a kill by Sullivan as part of a 7-0 run that saw the Eagles go up 19-15. From there, kills by Koop, Kaybrie Melzer and Meier closed out the set with a 25-19 New Ulm win. New Ulm took a 10-4 lead on a kill by Sullivan in the fourth set, but Waseca fought back to cut the lead to 12-10. But New Ulm maintained its lead, as a pair of kills by Meier put New Ulm up 19-13. Waseca went on a 6-0 run to tie the game, but New Ulm recovered with a kill by Madalyn Domeier to kick off a 6-1 New Ulm run to seal the victory.
New Ulm (8-10) plays at St. James on Thursday.