BRODHEAD — After suffering a three-set loss to Big Foot on Tuesday, Brodhead rebounded to defeat Evansville 3-1 on Thursday, Sept. 21. The victory keeps the Cardinals on pace with the Chiefs atop the Rock Valley Large Conference at 4-1.
“That was our goal tonight, to see how these girls could rebound,” Brodhead head coach Erin Kammerer said. “I was proud of them. They really brought it the first two sets. We have to figure out how to maintain a little bit better to finish the match. They get a little complacent, so that will be our next goal.”
A large part of the Cardinals’ success was coming together as a team and meshing well together in new roles. With the graduation of Alexis Kammerer, Abbie Dix and Kirsten Fish — who all went on to play volleyball at the collegiate level — this years’ squad is learning how to create its own identity.
“I don’t think people expected us to be like this [good]. It’s a big comparison from last year and the people that played,” sophomore defensive specialist Addie Leifker said. “In practice we really grind it out and do a lot of stuff together. That helps with the on-court chemistry.”
The chemistry picked up late in the first set, as Brodhead faced a 4-1 deficit. The Cardinals rallied for four straight points to take a narrow 5-4 lead. Evansville responded with its own five-point rally, reclaiming a 9-5 lead.
Down the stretch, Brenley Jones and Jaelyn Hilliard came up big to tie the set and eventually take the lead for good. Hilliard’s tip kill brought Brodhead within two and back-to-back points from Jones tied the set at 11. Aces from Leifker and Hilliard extended the Cardinals’ lead to 15-12.
The Devils took their first timeout, down 16-12, and won the first point out of the break. Makenna Schooff tallied a kill and went to the service line for two aces, prompting Evansville’s second timeout.
“Serving has been our focus from the beginning, and it’s part of a confidence and focus thing,” coach Kammerer said. “We have to continue to do that because if we can throw the other team out of system, the better chance we have at scoring.”
This time, the timeout benefited Evansville long-term, as the Devils won six of the next seven points. Lacking momentum and their lead cut down to just two points at 20-18, the Cardinals took a timeout. The two teams exchanged the next four points before Brodhead won three straight to take the first set 25-20.
The tight win propelled the Cardinals in the second set. After a blocking error, Brodhead went on a seven-point rally for a 9-2 lead. In the stretch, Allie Dahl recorded two kills, Brynn Riesterer smashed an overpass and Jerrica Schwartz served up three aces.
Although Evansville worked its way back into the set, 9-6, a nine-point Cardinal rally all but secured the second set for Brodhead. Schooff sparked the run with a kill, sending Leifker to the service line. She kept the Devils out of system with three aces, while Jones defended the net with three blocks.
Dahl gave Brodhead the second set, 25-12, with a kill.
Down to their last hope, the Blue Devils rallied in the third set. Evansville and Brodhead were tied up nine different times with four lead changes. Ava Brandenburg’s block tied the set at 13 and an attack error from Riesterer gave the Blue Devils the lead for good.
The Cardinals stayed in the set, though, never trailing by more than four. The Blue Devils took their first timeout after a Hilliard ace put Brodhead back within two at 23-21. The break proved beneficial, as Evansville won the last two points to take the set 25-21.
Brodhead took an early 7-3 lead in the fourth set with kills from Dahl, Riesterer and Schooff. The Cardinals maintained the lead until the Blue Devils went on a five-point rally, tying the set at 12.
Kammerer called a timeout to stall Evansville’s momentum, but the Blue Devils stuck around, taking their first lead at 16-15. Back-to-back kills from Jones gave Brodhead the lead again — this time for good. Despite two Evansville timeouts, Brodhead won six of the last seven points to take the set, 25-19, and match 3-1.
Schooff and Jones led the offense with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Dahl added another nine kills, followed up Riesterer with six. Hilliard distributed to the hitters with 32 assists.
“Being able to trust each other in the hitting lines — not just yourself but your teammates — is really helpful,” Jones said. “If you have an off night, you can really depend on one another.”
Brodhead served up 16 aces, led by Leifker with six. Schooff added four, and Hilliard and Schwartz had three each. Defensively, four players had double-digit digs — Leifker (22), Dahl (16), Hilliard (13) and Schooff (11). At the net, Riesterer and Jones recorded two blocks each.
Headed into the second half of the conference season, Brodhead is slowly learning how to play together as a team.
“We are figuring it out,” Kammerer said. “We are at the point of the season now where we have to mesh. It’s a mandatory mesh. It’s been a slow process, but I think we are getting there.”
WISCONSIN HEIGHTS TOURNAMENT
MAZOMANIE — Brodhead went 2-2 in the Wisconsin Heights tournament on Saturday, Sept. 23. The Cardinals beat Wisconsin Heights (25-13, 25-14) and Columbus (25-12, 25-15) but fell to Wautoma (25-23, 25-18) and Westby in the semifinals (25-15, 19-25, 18-16).
Addison Yates, Dahl, Jones and Riesterer led the offense, while Hilliard assisted. Yates also contributed with eight aces over the course of the whole tournament. Defensively, Leifker, Dahl, Hilliard, Schwartz and Schooff had double-digit digs.
Monroe also participated in the tournament, going 0-4. The Cheesemakers fell to Westby (25-17, 25-13), Cambridge (25-20-, 25-15), Cashton (25-16, 25-23) and Columbus (25-12, 24-26, 18-16).
