MONTICELLO - The Darlington volleyball team opened up the season by winning the Monticello tournament on Saturday.
The Redbirds defeated Benton in three sets to win the championship 18-25, 25-19, 15-8.
Each team played two sets against three teams in pool play. Darlington split a match with Monticello in pool play and then defeated River Ridge 27-25, 25-17 to get to the title match.
Black Hawk won the B bracket, knocking off Pecatonica in three sets 25-17, 22-25, 15-7. To get to the B championship match, the Warriors swept two sets from Albany 25-19, 25-15. Pecatonica beat Monticello in three sets to reach the B bracket title match, 13-25, 25-22, 16-14.
The six-member all-tournament team included Darlington's Kennedy Rankin, Black Hawk's Sam Lovelace, Monticello's Jessie Garrison, Pecatonica's Liz Tisch, Benton's Emma Lawrence and River Ridge's Taylor Langmeier.
Ranklin posted 26 kills and 18 blcoks for the Redbirds.
Lovelace and Black Hawk senior Jordyn Delzer each had 30 kills for the tournament. Lovelace added 10 aces.
Junior teammate Hannah Herbst racked up 42 assists and senior Elizabeth Holland had a team-high seven blocks.
"We thought we had Pec in the bag after the first set," Monticello coach Scott Smice said. "Like all good teams do, they stormed back in the second set. The final set was back and forth."
Monticello went 3-3 in the sets they played in pool play. The Ponies earned a split against eventual champion Darlington. Monticello defeated the Redbirds in the first set 25-23, but Darlington came back to win the second set 25-13.
"It showed how we have to work for every point. I was really happy with our overall play. I do expect us to be in the thick of things this year," Smice said of the Six Rivers East Conference.
The Ponies had a couple players on vacation, but Smice still played 11 players in the tournament.
"We weren't at full strength, but I'm not using that as an excuse," he said.
Garrison had 38 assists in the tournament to lead the Ponies. Monticello senior Alya Hummel had a team-high 15 kills and Hannah Zanow added 14 kills. The Ponies had 21 aces as a team.
Juda went 2-1 in pool play. River Ridge knocked off the Panthers (2-2 overall) in pool play 26-24, 25-20. Juda then edged Pecatonica 26-24, 25-21.
The Panthers then beat Black Hawk 25-21, 25-23 to reach the A bracket. Benton beat the Panthers in the A bracket 25-22, 25-15.
"We ran into a really good hitting and blocking team in Benton," Juda coach Scott Anderson said. "We took a step up making it to the A bracket. We found out what we will be consistent with this year."
Juda senior Sara Jordan had a team-best 25 kills in the tournament. Senior teammate Chelsea Burkhalter had 24 assists and senior Alexis Goecks racked up 43 digs.
Argyle takes second in Highland
The Argyle volleyball team finished second out of eight teams in the Highland tournament Saturday.
In pool play, Argyle knocked off Cassville in two sets 25-18, 25-7. The Orioles then defeated Belmont 25-14, 25-22. Argyle advanced to gold bracket play where it was the best out of three sets.
The Orioles edged Highland in gold bracket play 25-20, 25-19. Southwestern upended Argyle in the championship match 25-20, 25-16.
"They played really well to get to the gold bracket," Argyle coach Jen Butler said. "We were right with them (Southwestern). We just had too many errors. Overall, they played really good."
Argyle senior Kayla Butler-Paulson piled up 59 assists, 38 digs and 14 aces in the tournament. Argyle junior teammate Ashley Bruehlman had a team-high 24 kills and sophomore Jena Saalsaa had 15 kills in the tournament. Junior teammate Dorissa DeNure had nine aces. Both DeNure and Bruehlman each added three blocks.
"We need to clean up our serve receive," Butler said.
Brodhead takes fourth in Janesville
The Brodhead volleyball team finished fourth in the silver bracket at the Cougar-Viking Invitational on Saturday.
The Cardinals went 2-3 on Saturday. Brodhead defeated Delavan-Darien in three sets 14-25, 25-14, 15-5. The Cardinals also beat Cambridge in three sets 25-18, 19-25, 15-11.
Portage knocked off Brodhead in three sets 25-27, 25-23, 15-8. The Cardinals also dropped a three set match to Madison Memorial 13-25, 25-15, 15-6. Baraboo took two sets from the Cardinals 25-12, 25-17.
Brodhead sophomore Abbey Johnson was named to the all-tournament team. Johnson had 32 kills, 45 digs and 49 assists in the invite.
The Redbirds defeated Benton in three sets to win the championship 18-25, 25-19, 15-8.
Each team played two sets against three teams in pool play. Darlington split a match with Monticello in pool play and then defeated River Ridge 27-25, 25-17 to get to the title match.
Black Hawk won the B bracket, knocking off Pecatonica in three sets 25-17, 22-25, 15-7. To get to the B championship match, the Warriors swept two sets from Albany 25-19, 25-15. Pecatonica beat Monticello in three sets to reach the B bracket title match, 13-25, 25-22, 16-14.
The six-member all-tournament team included Darlington's Kennedy Rankin, Black Hawk's Sam Lovelace, Monticello's Jessie Garrison, Pecatonica's Liz Tisch, Benton's Emma Lawrence and River Ridge's Taylor Langmeier.
Ranklin posted 26 kills and 18 blcoks for the Redbirds.
Lovelace and Black Hawk senior Jordyn Delzer each had 30 kills for the tournament. Lovelace added 10 aces.
Junior teammate Hannah Herbst racked up 42 assists and senior Elizabeth Holland had a team-high seven blocks.
"We thought we had Pec in the bag after the first set," Monticello coach Scott Smice said. "Like all good teams do, they stormed back in the second set. The final set was back and forth."
Monticello went 3-3 in the sets they played in pool play. The Ponies earned a split against eventual champion Darlington. Monticello defeated the Redbirds in the first set 25-23, but Darlington came back to win the second set 25-13.
"It showed how we have to work for every point. I was really happy with our overall play. I do expect us to be in the thick of things this year," Smice said of the Six Rivers East Conference.
The Ponies had a couple players on vacation, but Smice still played 11 players in the tournament.
"We weren't at full strength, but I'm not using that as an excuse," he said.
Garrison had 38 assists in the tournament to lead the Ponies. Monticello senior Alya Hummel had a team-high 15 kills and Hannah Zanow added 14 kills. The Ponies had 21 aces as a team.
Juda went 2-1 in pool play. River Ridge knocked off the Panthers (2-2 overall) in pool play 26-24, 25-20. Juda then edged Pecatonica 26-24, 25-21.
The Panthers then beat Black Hawk 25-21, 25-23 to reach the A bracket. Benton beat the Panthers in the A bracket 25-22, 25-15.
"We ran into a really good hitting and blocking team in Benton," Juda coach Scott Anderson said. "We took a step up making it to the A bracket. We found out what we will be consistent with this year."
Juda senior Sara Jordan had a team-best 25 kills in the tournament. Senior teammate Chelsea Burkhalter had 24 assists and senior Alexis Goecks racked up 43 digs.
Argyle takes second in Highland
The Argyle volleyball team finished second out of eight teams in the Highland tournament Saturday.
In pool play, Argyle knocked off Cassville in two sets 25-18, 25-7. The Orioles then defeated Belmont 25-14, 25-22. Argyle advanced to gold bracket play where it was the best out of three sets.
The Orioles edged Highland in gold bracket play 25-20, 25-19. Southwestern upended Argyle in the championship match 25-20, 25-16.
"They played really well to get to the gold bracket," Argyle coach Jen Butler said. "We were right with them (Southwestern). We just had too many errors. Overall, they played really good."
Argyle senior Kayla Butler-Paulson piled up 59 assists, 38 digs and 14 aces in the tournament. Argyle junior teammate Ashley Bruehlman had a team-high 24 kills and sophomore Jena Saalsaa had 15 kills in the tournament. Junior teammate Dorissa DeNure had nine aces. Both DeNure and Bruehlman each added three blocks.
"We need to clean up our serve receive," Butler said.
Brodhead takes fourth in Janesville
The Brodhead volleyball team finished fourth in the silver bracket at the Cougar-Viking Invitational on Saturday.
The Cardinals went 2-3 on Saturday. Brodhead defeated Delavan-Darien in three sets 14-25, 25-14, 15-5. The Cardinals also beat Cambridge in three sets 25-18, 19-25, 15-11.
Portage knocked off Brodhead in three sets 25-27, 25-23, 15-8. The Cardinals also dropped a three set match to Madison Memorial 13-25, 25-15, 15-6. Baraboo took two sets from the Cardinals 25-12, 25-17.
Brodhead sophomore Abbey Johnson was named to the all-tournament team. Johnson had 32 kills, 45 digs and 49 assists in the invite.
