Ipswich finished 1-1 in its pair of Region 2B high school volleyball apppearances last week. The Lady Tigers first hosted Potter County for a 2B 3-0 win over the Battlers last Tuesday in Ipswich.

But the Lady Tigers then lost a straight-set 3-0 decision at Faulkton Area in one of Thursday's bracket championship clashes. So Faulkton indeed advanced to the SoDak 16, comprised of the remaining 16 statewide elite volleyball teams, each vying for a State B berth. The Trojans met Deubrook on Tuesday evening on a neutral court in Miller with that winner guaranteed a trip to the State B on November 15,16 and 17 in Sioux Falls. The other Region 2B bracket champion, Sully Buttes with a 3-1 win over Herreid/Selby Area, was slated to face Chester Area on Election Night in Huron. Sully Buttes had opened its 2B bid with a 3-0 win over Highmore-Harrold. (The other Tuesday game in that bracket saw HSA upending Edmunds Central 3-0.)

Meanwhile, Faulkton had begun its 2B action with a 3-0 homecourt win over Leola-Frederick last Tuesday. Then against Ipswich, Faulkton put together a 25-12 first-set win and also captured set number two 25-15. The closest Ipswich got, attempting a late-game rally in that pivotal second set, was to within five points, 25-20, thanks to a Halle Heinz service ace. But the hosts regrouped and scored the next five points for a 25-15 win. And that momentum seemed to carry over into the third and decisive set, won by Faulkton 25-10.

Against Faulkton, IHS senior Abby Grabowska finished 39-44 at the net with 10 of Ipswich's 15 kills. (She compiled a team season-high 486 kills.) Ipswich totaled a 78-95 hitting effort last Thursday; Faulkton, 90-98 with 36 kills, paced by Peyton Melius, 23-31 with 21 kills.

Ipswich was 120-126 in setting with 15 assists. Bailey Pitz delivered 52 of them with eight assists and Heinz was 50-51 with six assists.

Ipswich finished 31-34 at the service line with two aces. Heinz was 8-8 including that ace and Avery Sylte, 6-6,1 there.

Defensively, Ipswich recorded 74 digs, led by Chesney Olivier with 21 and Lindsey Grabowska with 16 (those two sophomores have both become the newest members of the IHS 1000 Career Digs Club). They were followed by Abby Grabowska with 14 digs and Heinz with 12. Ipswich also had two solo blocks and two block assists.

Ipswich's opening-night effort against PC had featured a trio of relative close outcomes, each won by Ipswich, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-23, respectively. Abby Grabowska's thunderous kill clinched the match.

And the Lady Tigers enjoyed a 138-156 hitting evening, led by, you guessed it, Abby Grabowska at 54-62 with 20 kills. Lindsey Grabowska was next at 30-35 with seven kills. Ipswich finished 153-155 in setting attempts with 34 assists, led by Heinz, 78-79,18 and Pitz, 51-57,14.

Sydney Loken in action.

Altogether, Ipswich went 67-74 at the service line with five aces, led by Olivier, 16-17 with three aces and Heinz, 14-15,1.

Ipswich utilized 113 defensive digs, led by Abby Grabowska with 29 and Olivier with 25, followed by Lindsey Grabowska with 19. Ipswich added four solo blocks and four assisted blocks.

Ipswich ended its season at 19-12. The other Lady Tiger seniors this year in addition to Abby Grabowska were Ashlee Thorson, Sydney Loken, Olivia Gohl and the injured Kamryn Heinz.