Regional match tune-up has West Fork coach, players motivated

SHEFFIELD – Even though the West Fork volleyball team faced its Class 2A regional first round opponent exactly a week before the post-season, the battery on the Warhawks’ recording of said match died about 30 seconds into it.

So, when she was notified of that while talking about playing Belmond-Klemme again, Warhawk first-year coach Hannah Vaughan had to back pedal.

“We’re motivated,” Vaughan said, “and we’ve got film, so we’re going to watch our film and prepare for next week…Maybe we won’t watch film, but instead we will reflect, because they were on that court, they know what was going on. We will make an action plan for next week and we will be ready to go.”

Belmond-Klemme got the only sweep of the night, 25-12, 25-11 over the Warhawks, even though one of its middle hitters, Kennedie Gabrielson, left with an ankle sprain.

The Broncos still had plenty of weapons with kills spread around by Allison Barrus, Madi Barrus, Jazmyn Gomez and Maddie Roberts. Jennah Meyer and Ashlynn Willms also served up several aces in both sets.

In the opening match, the Warhawks were able to survive a 6-match win Clarksville team that has shown it can be competive with a 25-22, 17-25, 15-12 victory for their fourth match victory of the season.

“That was really exciting,” Vaughan said. “It brought our energy way, way up. The girls were so excited. I was so excited. I am so proud of what we did. I am proud of what we did in the Belmond game as well, we just came out on the bottom as opposed to the top like we did in the first one.”

They played to seven tie scores in the opening set against the Warhawks, the latest coming at 18-all, before a serving run by Kalli Trewin gave West Fork a 23-18 advantage. Clarksville kept itself in the set after a pair of hitting errors, a tip by Makenzie Bloker and a kill by Sierra Vance brought them to within 24-22, but a Mya Braun kill off the Clarksville block ended it.

Clarksville coach Chris Martin said that his team hasn’t been playing as a team since the Indians won their home match against GMG on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

“We’re not playing to our potential,” Martin said, “and I am angry. We play teams like Don Bosco, Janesville and Tripoli tough and two teams like this, we don’t play tough.”

West Fork is also featuring some newer players in its lineup, something that Vaughan said wasn’t a huge factor.

But Braun, who previously had only one kill so far this season, recorded six against Clarksville and then added a couple more against B-K.

“We have done some (changes),” Vaughan said. “We were at a tournament and were missing a few, and so we had two we brought up. Switched up in the normal lineup who started in the front and who started in the back. Nothing major, just a little switcheroos. They are really close with each other, so I knew the lineup would work well with each. Thankfully, for that.”

West Fork 25-17-15

Clarksville 22-25-12

Kills– Clark (Katie Stirling 8, Sierra Vance 7, Jenna Myers 5, Rachel Borchardt 2, Madison Spree, Makenzie Bloker); WF (Mya Braun 6, Madisyn Bonner 6, Kalli Trewin 6, Emma Martinek 3, Grace Willms, Sadie Latham, Maddie Hubka). Blocks– Clark (Spree, Vance, Borchardt); WF (Martinek 3). Assists– Clark (Bloker 16, Borchardt 2, Stirling, Myers); WF (Willms 10, Latham 8). Digs– Clark (Cailyn Hardy 19, Vance 10, Spree 8, Bloker 3, Madison Hirsch 2, Borchardt 2); WF (Hubka 13, Breckyn Dickman 6, Latham 6, Haley Grady 5, Braun 3, Willms, Trewin). Serving– Clark (Hardy 16-16, 3 aces; Borchardt 6-6; Vance 5-5, ace; Bloker 12-13; Stirling 8-9; Spree 7-8); WF (Bonner 12-12; Trewin 12-14, 2 aces; Willms 6-7, ace; Grady 4-5; Latham 7-9, 2 aces; Hubka 6-8, ace).

Belmond-Klemme 25-25

West Fork 12-11

Kills– WF (Latham 2, Martinek, Bonner, Trewin). Blocks– WF (Trewin 2). Assists– WF (Willms 3).Digs– WF (Hubka 11, Latham 6, Dickman 4, Willms 2, Braun, Grady). Serving– WF (Bonner 7-7, 2 aces; Hubka 5-5, 2 aces; Willms 2-2; Trewin 2-2; Latham 5-6; Grady 1-2).