Edmunds County Tribune -

Ipswich hosted Lake Region Conference foe North Central on Tuesday, Oct. 25 during high school volleyball action in the Tiger Den. The hosts were able to close out the 2022 regular-season action with a straight-sets 3-0 win. The individual set scores were 25-16, 25-9 and 25-15, respectively, all favoring the host team.

But the visiting Thunder were able to hang around at various stages of all three sets - even the second set where a Natalie Bieber kill would produce them a 8-8 tie. But they were then outscored 17-1 the rest of that set that was capped by a Gracie Lange set-point kill for the Tigers. The visitors would then feature a back-to-back pair of ace serves by Sydney Bertsch to draw to within four points, 18-14, in the final set. But the Tigers closed out that set and match with a 7-1 run capped by a Madison Geditz score.

Ipswich finished 68 of 85 at the net that included 23 kills. Lange led that effort at 24-29 with nine kills, followed by Baylee Kulesa at 22-29 with seven kills and Marley Guthmiller's 7-8, 4 evening at the net. The Thunder responded with 54 hits in 73 attempts that featured 17 kills. Amree Vander Vorst went 14-19 there with three kills, Billie Jo Hoffman, 12-16 with three kills and Bieber at 10-13 with six kills.

Ipswich was 51-51 in setting with Quincy Olivier at 43-43 including 19 assists that helped produce her 1000 plus career assists. North Central's setting chores were done by Kaitlyn Hoerner at 66 of 71 with 13 assists.

The Tigers were 63 of 72 at the service line and landed 14 aces. Lange went 8-10 with four aces and Olivier 15-18 with three aces. The Thunder, meanwhile, utilized 35 of 41 serve attempts that featured those two Bieber aces. Vander Vorst was also 8-8 at the line.

Digging was very comparable with the Thunder actually coming away with 44 digs and Ipswich, 42. Kulesa scooped up 14 digs and Madison Geditz, 11 for the Tigers. But NC's Jenisa Jacobs topped all the diggers with 17, while Hoffman added eight.

Ipswich had a total of 12 assisted blocks, led by Guthmiller with five block assists and Lange with three. The Thunder countered with three solo blocks, including one each by Bieber, Lindsey Geier and Ella Batie.

The visitors closed out their regular season with a 6-17 mark and Ipswich improved to 15-13.

VS. HERREID-SELBY AREA

Ipswich was defeated 3-1 by Herreid-Selby Area in high school varsity volleyball action last Monday on the road.

The Tigers indeed won the second set 25-21 to briefly even things at 1-1. The hosts  won the opening set 25-14, the third set 25-14 and the clinching set 25-17.

Ipswich had 30 set assists and the Wolverines 37. The Tigers were also edged 9-7 in ace serves. The hosts also topped Ipswich 95-87 in defensive digs. But Madison Geditz came away with 25 digs.

Meanwhile Gracie Lange led her team's net attack that consisted of 127 total hits including 33 kills. She went 35-44 with 13 kills, followed by Baylee Kulesa at 47-60 with a dozen kills.

Ipswich finished 57-67 in their overall serving attempts that featured those seven aces. Lange had 12 accurate serves including three aces and Vanesa Diaz was 8-10 at the line with two aces.

The Ipswich setters were led by Quincy Olivier at 95-95 with 31 assists. Ipswich also utilized 15 solo blocks and two assists, led by Kaylin Onken with 15 solos.