The Mitchell High School volleyball team couldn’t stop Sioux Falls Roosevelt from going on key-scoring runs on Tuesday.
The Kernels fell to the Rough Riders in straight sets, 25-13, 25-23 and 25-19 at MHS gym in a non-conference volleyball match.
Despite the sweep, Mitchell (2-5) at times went point-for-point with the Rough Riders (5-4). However, Mitchell was doomed by errors in the sweep.
“We made too many serve-receive errors tonight,” Mitchell coach Deb Thill said. “We knew that they were going to be a really good-serving team because they always are and they went on some serving runs. We’ve got to be able to stop that.”
Roosevelt’s serving set the tone in the first set, which featured seven ties and three lead changes in the early stages. But Roosevelt rode Elizabeth Deneven at the service-line down the stretch. With the score tied at 12-12, the all-state setter served up five aces during a 13-1 surge as Roosevelt claimed a 1-0 lead.
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“We’ve got to get better at serve-receive and we know that and we need to become a more aggressive-serving team and we know that and we are working on that,” Thill said.
The second set had 12 ties and four lead changes. Mitchell took its last lead (23-22) before Roosevelt scored the final three points, capped off by a Mandy Dierks ace.
In the third set, the score was tied at points 13, 14, 15 and 16, before the Rough Riders again pulled away. Abby Ward smacked a kill to cap off a 3-0 run, forcing Thill to burn a timeout. It didn’t stop Roosevelt’s momentum as it closed the set on a 6-3 spurt.
Mitchell’s Lizzie Tyler finished with seven kills, while Kaspen Alm, Cameryn Logan and Katy Sebert each had four kills. Sebert and Tyler added eight digs, while Sebert dished out 16 assists. Sarah Sebert added 18 digs.
Junior reserve hitter Taylor Haring also got an extended look in the action.
“We had to go to somebody that could do both -- play front row and serve receive,” Thill said. “She did that for us and she did a nice job.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Kernels. They will play No. 1 Sioux Falls O’Gorman, No. 2 Watertown and No. 3 Aberdeen Central in their next three matches. The O’Gorman match is Thursday in Sioux Falls.
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JV: Roosevelt won 26-24, 25-22
Mitchell leaders: Alyssa Magee 13 digs; Taylor Haring 4 kills, 3 digs, 1 block.
Sophomore: Roosevelt won 25-19, 25-16.
Freshman A: Roosevelt won 25-12, 25-15.
Freshman B: Roosevelt won 25-17, 25-9
