North downs South in all-star volleyball game

ABERDEEN — The North brought out its big guns but the South countered with team work and a sticky defense.

The North All-Star volleyball team, which featured nine players who were in the 2011 state tournaments, clicked in the fifth set to post a 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 14-25, 15-9 win over the South All-Stars on Wednesday at the high school volleyball all-star game at Golden Eagles Arena at Aberdeen Central High School in Aberdeen.

“That’s one thing that was a little bit to our advantage was defense,” said South head coach Christena Schultz, of Bridgewater-Emery High School.

“When we came in, I thought maybe talent for talent the North had us a little bit, but it did not prove out that way. It was a pretty evenly played match.”

With the match tied at two sets apiece, it all boiled down to the final fifth set. After a 3-all tie early in the set, North proceeded to slowly pull away. A three point flurry including a double block by high school teammates, Kacey Herrmann and Margaret McCloud of Rapid City Stevens, along with a kill by Jussy Tuscherer of Northwestern stretched North’s lead to 6-3.

Later, a kill by Claire Assam, the Class A volleyball player of the year from Sioux Falls Christian, pulled South to within two points at 9-7.

North scored back-to-back points on a kill by Kelsey Kaufmann of Arlington and an ace serve by Haley Wetzler of Northwestern and boosted the lead to 11-7. North gave up a point on a serving error, its third of the short set.

The two teams exchanged kills for a 12-9 North lead.

Kaufmann extended North’s lead to 13-9 with a kill. After a South timeout, North put the match away on a South attacking error and a Tuscherer kill.

“Volleyball is a game of runs,” said McCloud who will play basketball at the University of South Dakota. “Once you get the momentum rolling, it’s easy to roll. If you start messing up, you get on kind of a downward spiral.”

McCloud, whose Raiders volleyball team finished fourth in the State AA tournament last fall, wanted one more shot at the sport.

“It was one last volleyball game. I can always play volleyball for fun but I was really looking forward to one last competitive game,” said McCloud.

South recorded 86 defensive digs in the match.

“We had incredible team chemistry,” said Mitchell’s Dana Misiaszek of the South squad. “We all got along so well. It was a fun time.”

For Misiaszek, whose volleyball team finished seventh at the State AA Meet, it was also one last chance to play the sport.

“I’m going to USD and major in nursing or therapy and I am not going to play volleyball,” said Misiaszek who finished with 12 kills, six digs and three blocks. “It’s my last game. I wanted to have fun and walk away with a smile on my face and I did.”

South was led by Jorgensen with 13 kills and Misiaszek with a dozen.

The South still leads the all-time series 15-9.

Serving: South 4 aces (Ivy Pearson 2, Claire Assam 1, Stephanie Heumiller 1); North 4 aces (Haley Wetzler 1, Kelsey Kaufmann 1, Mallory Fischer 1, Jussy Tuscherer 1).

Hitting: South 50 kills (Haley Jorgensen 13, Dana Misiaszek 12, Pearson 9, Assam 5, Ashley Hazard 4, Breanna Cuka 3, Kayli Adams 2, Alexa Cimpl 2); North 31 kills (Margaret McCloud 6, Tuscherer 6, Kacey Herrmann 5, Mallory Jark 4, Kaufmann 4, Megan Boston 3, Tiffany Lundberg 1, Allison Thielsen 1).

Setting: South 44 assists (Heumiller 25, Adams 12, Cimpl 4); North 30 assists (Fischer 14, Chrystal Merriam 10, McCloud 3).

Digs: South 86 (Pearson 24, Adams 17, Heumiller 11, Lexie Weier 13, Misiaszek 6, Hazard 5, Taylor Anshutz 4, Assam 2, Cuka 2); North 77 (Lundberg 13, Fischer 12, Wetzler 11, Kaufmann 10, Merriam 8, Thielsen 6, Herrmann 5, Kassidy Keller 3, Boston 3, Tuscherer 3, McCloud 2).

Blocks: South 12 (Misiaszek 3, Cuka 3, Jorgensen 3, Assam 1, Cimpl 1, Pearson 1); North 2 solo 20 assisted (McCloud 6 assisted, Jark 6 assisted, Herrmann 4 assisted, Tuscherer 2 solo 2 assisted, Boston 1 assisted, Kaufmann 1 assisted).

Tags: sports, updates, volleyball, mitchell