Monday's high school volleyball match in Ipswich turned out to be a classic clash of the Tigers. Class A Mobridge-Pollock and Ipswich both entered the match with only two losses. But Ipswich indeed emerged with a hard-fought straight-set win that improved its record to 17-2 and the visiting Lady Tigers dropped to 15-3.

The IHS Tigers held on for a 25-22 win in a back and forth opening set and then staged a late rally to out-last the M-P netters 27-25 to go ahead 2-0 in the match. And that disappointing loss seemed to deflate the visitors' momentum just a tiny little bit entering the third set.

“Volleyball is based so much on momentum and it showed after we were able to come back from being down 6 or 7 in the second (set) and win. It did seem to take the wind out of MoPo’s sails and we were able to use that to our advantage to finish the night off,” said Coach Trent Osborne.

Ipswich indeed was able to jump out to a 12-4 lead in set #3 and coasted to an eventual 10-point 25-15 win. That set-point (and match-point) was delivered courtesy of a Hailey Bierman kill. “Hailey seems to be the one who has gotten chances to end games,” according to Coach Osborne. “Yes she was the one last night again.” She finished 17 of 19 at the net with eight kills, but Paige Mehlberg led the attack with a 28-32 night with 10 kills. Kate Geditz added a 14-15 six-kills evening.

Altogether Ipswich was 108-127 at the net, including 41 kills. Mobridge-Pollock was 124-153 with 25 kills. Ipswich's offense was set up with a 108-109 setting effort that featured 40 assists. Halle Heinz was 46-47 with 17 assists and Bailey Pitz, a perfect 45 with 16 assists. Meanwhile, the visitors were 117 of 117 and distributed 70 assists.

Serving played a role in the ultimate outcome as well. Ipswich was 72-77 at the line with four aces, led by Pitz with a perfect 16-16 including one ace and Ashton Loken was next in perfection at 9-9 with an ace as well. (Mobridge-Pollock finished 59 of 64 in serving with no aces.)

Ipswich had three solo blocks and two assists, led by Mehlberg with those three solos and one assist. And Halie Feldman added the other assist. The IHS Tiger girls totaled 88 digs, led by Chesney Olivier with 29 and Lindsey Grabowska with 19. Mobridge-Pollock countered with one block assist and 92 digs.

Ipswich was to travel to Tulare on Oct. 15 to face Hitchcock-Tulare and will then go to Leola on the 19th against Leola/Frederick in a league battle. The girls will close out their regular-season schedule on the road vs. Herreid/Selby Area on October 26.