Ipswich's Avery Sylte, Paige Mehlberg and Lindsey Grabowska helped settle the issue in three back-and-forth sets during a non-conference high school volleyball sweep of Herreid/Selby Area on Monday’s Military Appreciation Night saluting our local area military personnel and veterans.

In other words, Monday's match was a lot closer than you might think, despite not going into a fifth or even fourth set. The Wolverines had displayed their early tenacity with a 5-0 start in the opening set, but Ipswich scored five straight points of its own to draw even on the way to a 25-22 victory in set one. Set two wasn't quite as close, as the hosts held on for a 25-20 win. But that narrow Lady Tiger rally to clinch the third set 25-23 was all you would want for high school volleyball drama and then some.

Sylte finished 30-34 at the net with nine kills. Grabowska pounded down five kills among her 16 successful hitting attempts and Mehlberg added five kills among her 10 hits, plus both of her team's solo blocks and three assisted blocks. Altogether Ipswich rolled up 77 hits in 97 tries with a total of 29 kills.

Ipswich went 72-82 in serving with five aces, led by Chesney Olivier with 16 accurate serves, including three aces. Next was Sylte at 16-17 with an ace. (Ashton Loken provided the remaining Lady Tiger ace.) And Halle Heinz nearly reached double-figures at the line with nine serves in 11 tries.

Ipswich was 92-92 in setting attempts with 25 assists, paced by Bailey Pitz with 39 sets, including 11 assists and Heinz with 37 sets of which nine were assists.

Defensively, Ipswich included 88 digs, led by Olivier with 24, Heinz with 23, Grabowska with 16 and Sylte also in double-figures with 14.

The Lady Tigers were to close out their regular-season schedule with a trip to Mobridge on Tuesday evening to face Faith in a non-conference tilt. Ipswich was sitting at 18-5 after Monday's win over H-SA, as was regional rival Faulkton Area.

Ipswich's trip to Mobridge vs. Faith and some other remaining games in everybody's regular-season schedule will determine the final seedings in the upcoming Region 2B tourney on November 4, 5 and 7. There is only one play-in game this year, since the region was reduced to just nine teams. And it appears at this time that this Monday evening game would pit Sunshine Bible Academy vs. Lower Brule.

As per usual, the region is divided into two parallel brackets with both of those Thursday winners advancing into the elite round of 16 winners seeded statewide into eight games, the winners of which will qualify for the State B.

And Faulkton Area and Ipswich were in a virtual deadlock with Region 2B seeding points to determine whether they are the number one or number two seed and ultimately who they will host. So Ipswich is definitely hosting a regional game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday as either the one or two seed. And if the Lady Tigers win that one, they'll host a bracket championship match next Thursday also at 7 p.m.

Check with the school or other media if you have any questions about the tournament.