AGWSR outlasts South Hardin

ACKLEY – It’s not the start but the finish that counts.

AGWSR started slow before rallying for a highly-intense five-set victory over the South Hardin volleyball team here Tuesday during a North Iowa Cedar League West Conference match.

The Tigers posted wins of 25-19, 25-17 followed by Cougar victories of 25-21, 26-24 and 15-12.

Riding the momentum of a narrow win in game four, AGWSR scored the first six points of the deciding fifth. The Tigers clawed back to 10-all on Jaidyn Teske and Ellie Anderson back-to-back kills. A Brynn Smith block built the Cougars a 12-10 lead and the hosts celebrated the come-from-behind victory with a South Hardin hit into the net.

“Always coming off a victory in game four and going into the fifth gives you momentum,” said AGWSR coach Jill Smith, “But the fifth set is really anyone’s game. It is just a fast and short set. I thought we came out with composure in the fifth.”

Game four was a roller coaster ride for the two teams that ended with high-fives for the Cougars and frustration for the Tigers. AGWSR closed on a 7-1 run and dodged a match-point. 

For the Cougars, freshman Smith and Alyssa Hames buried kills during the late charge to go with service aces for Rachel Sicard and Haleigh Homeyer.

Knotted at 19-all, South Hardin scored the next four points with kills for Teske and Cora Frohwein. After the hosts closed within 23-22, the Tigers scored on an AGWSR miscue and were within one-point of snapping a long conference losing skid. The Cougars scored the final four points.

“I told the girls to hold their heads high. It was a great effort,” said South Hardin co-head coach John Teske. “Some nights the results go our way and other nights they will not.

“We can learn a lot from tonight. It is only our second night out and to have a young team in the loud, hostile environment was tough.”

The Tigers pulled away late to gain the early 2-0 advantage. The visitors scored seven of the last 10 points in the first game as Anderson hammered three kills and won by six.

The second set was again highly-competitive when South Hardin turned an 18-16 lead into an eight-point win, closing on a 7-1 run.

AGWSR denied South Hardin the sweep by turning the tables and scoring seven of the final 10 points with the two teams locked 18-18. The Cougars’ Taylor Sperfslage landed four service points and Smith smacked a late kill.

“We rotated our lineup before the third set,” said Smith. “I felt we needed better blocking matchups. I don’t know if that was the key, but I felt we needed a shake-up.” 

She added, “I talked to the girls about how I felt both teams were young, but improved teams, and we needed to be prepared for a battle.”

The victory was the first against four losses for the Cougars, who stand 1-1 in the league. Three of the losses have been to state-ranked opponents.

Smith and Sperfslage were one-two in hitting with 11 and 10 kills, respectively, with five for MaKenna Kuper. Natalie Gerstein directed the attack with 28 assists. Smith, Gerstein and Homeyer had three service aces as Homeyer was 18-of-18 along with Sperfslage and Gerstein 13-of-13. Gerstein and Alayna Hunt collected 10 digs with nine for Smith and Sperfslage and Kuper had four blocks.

Anderson, a freshman, powered the South Hardin attack with 24 of the team’s 40 kills on 42-of-48 attacking. Teske added nine kills while Josie Raska lofted 22 assists and Emma Salvo 17.

“Ellie had a good night,” said Teske. “This was a big growing match for her,” 

Salvo dropped five service aces followed by three for Teske and Meghan VandePol. VandePol and Macy Engelson were 19-of-20 serving with Teske 18-of-19.

Defensive leaders were Teske 27 digs and Ryle Nelson four blocks – two solos and assists each.

The conference opening loss left the Tigers 1-2 overall. The NICL West losing skid now stands at 15 dating back to the 2016 campaign.

AGWSR played Iowa Falls-Alden in Ackley Tuesday and on Thursday battles North Butler in Greene before Saturday competing in the G-R Tournament at Reinbeck.