In a two-game week in the Dragon's Lair, the Lady Dragon volleyball team had both a win and a loss. On Tuesday, they faced off with Dell Rapids and pulled off the win in three sets. On Thursday, Chester Area came to town and took the Dragons out in four.
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The game versus Dells started out with the Dragons gathering the first two points, but the Quarriers grabbed the ball and went on a 6-point run, worrying the home team. Dell Rapids kept the lead until it was 11-15 in favor of the Quarriers, when Garretson turned it around and began to catch up. They closed the lead at 19-19 and then pulled ahead, where they got stuck on the set-ending point. Dells grabbed four more points to nearly even the score at 24-23 until a miscommunication gave the Dragons the set win.
The Quarriers again grabbed the lead early in the second set. The Dragons quickly caught up, evening the score to 5-5. Despite falling behind shortly after, Garretson continued to play ball and again tied at 9-9. Garretson then went on a six-point run as communication broke down among the Quarriers. Solid digs from the team in blue kept the Dragons ahead and they won the set 25-16.
Set three saw Garretson take the lead early, and they didn't let go. The Quarriers attempted to close the gap until the Dragons pulled away, taking and keeping a 7-point lead throughout much of the set. The game-winning point was thanks to a just-inside-the-boundaries kill from the Dragons, ending the set 25-18.
Logan Bly led in kills with 12, while Anna Jones and Aleah Wagner each had 8. Bly, Grace Hove, and Sydney Olson each served an ace. Bly and Kaylin Koch both had 8 digs, Tayler Benson had 7. Olson placed 18 assists on her stat card while Hove notched 11.
On Thursday, Garretson took on Chester Area, a worthy opponent who scored the only loss Garretson volleyball experienced in last year's regular season. The Flyers started strong and took the first five points. The Dragons quickly caught up, evening the score to 5-5. Garretson kept slightly ahead as the two teams began trading off the ball, until Chester closed the gap at 19-19. Chester pulled ahead 24-23, and a failed dig from Garretson gave the opposing team the set 25-23.
The second set belonged to the Dragons as they ran up the scoreboard, getting up to 10 before Chester began closing the lead. The two teams continued nipping at each other's heels, getting to 24-24, 25-25, and 26-26 before Garretson snagged the final two points and won the set 28-26.
The third set saw Chester take the lead and keep it until the end, winning 21-25.
Throughout much of the fourth, the two teams stayed tied. After tying 16-16, Chester pulled ahead and kept the lead, holding the Dragons back until they cinched the game-winning point at 21-25.
Koch and Bly led in attacks, each hitting 15 kills. Wagner followed closely with 14 kills. Bly hit 3 aces against the Flyers, and Olson and Koch scored one ace each. Koch led in digs with 22, followed by Bly with 20 and Hove with 16. Hove again notched her belt with assists with 33 more, and Olson had 19 assists.
The Dragons stayed on the home court on Tuesday against Alcester-Hudson (results not available at press time) and will be playing in Parker tonight (Thursday) against the Pheasants. They'll host Dell Rapids St. Mary's on Tuesday, October 4 with JV at 6:00 and Varsity at 7:15 p.m.
