Team effort leads to three-set victory for Wolves over Bennington

ELKHORN — In a battle of two Class B Volleyball title contenders, Elkhorn North bested Bennington in three sets Thursday.

‍

“It felt great,” Elkhorn North senior Haylee Wolf stated. “They are a top-four team in Class B, so we came out with our A-game. We’ll see them again probably three more times this year.”

‍

The match opened as a back-and-forth struggle, as one would expect in a clash of top-four teams in Class B.

‍

‍

The two Eastern Midlands Conference rivals battled for the early momentum. After giving up the match’s first three points, the Wolves used a 6-2 run to claim an 8-7 edge. Four different players tallied a point during the run.

‍

The Badgers went to their stellar sophomore as Hayden Liebsack recorded four kills to spark a 5-2 Bennington run and put the visitors ahead 14-11.

‍

A three-kill spurt by Reagan Wallraff regained the lead for Elkhorn North, 17-15. The Wolves ended the set on an 8-4 run and earned a 25-19 set win after a Delaney Briganti kill.

‍

‍

While the Badgers’ leaned on Hayden Liebsack’s eight first-set kills, Elkhorn North used a plethora of attackers to win the opening set. Five different players notched at least two kills in the first-set win for Elkhorn North.

‍

“All of our hitters are super consistent,” Briganti noted. “Anyone of us can put the ball down.”

‍

The Wolves rode the momentum from the end of the first set to jump out to a huge lead in the second. The blue and black scored 12 of the second set’s first 15 points. Six different Wolves tallied a point during the 12-3 run.

‍

‍

“We kept them out of system and we did a really good job of putting the ball away,” Wolf commented.

‍

Bennington drew no closer than six, as Elkhorn North claimed the second set 25-18.

‍

Despite trailing the match 2-0, Bennington refused to give in and quickly snatched the momentum away from Elkhorn North. Leading 3-1, the Badgers scored four unanswered points thanks to two Maddie Uhlir kills and a Taylor Olsen kill.

‍

‍

The Wolves answered with a 6-1 run behind two kills and a block by Shay Heaney to go ahead 6-1.

‍

After an Ava Spies kill put Elkhorn North ahead 18-16, Bennington responded with a 9-3 run to go ahead 23-20. Hayden Liebsack accounted for two kills and Keatyn added a kill and a block during the run.

‍

The Wolves once again regrouped following a timeout, as Wallraff scored the next three points with two kills and a block to tie the match at 23.

‍

“Coach (Jenny Gragert) told us to not be complacent and to work hard,” Briganti recalled. “Reagan was a beast out there and got us hyped up.”

‍

‍

A pair of Hayden Liebsack kills put Bennington ahead 25-24, but Wallraff tallied a kill followed by a block by Briganti and Spies to put Elkhorn North ahead 26-25. The ensuing Badger attack went wide and out of bounds as Elkhorn North improved to 8-0 all-time against Bennington.

‍

“We try not to be complacent and we did that a bit,” Briganti added. “We came back and wanted to win. We did a really good job of not shutting down when things were not going our way and that’s really important.”

‍

Hayden Liebsack guided the Badgers with 18 kills, 11 digs and an ace. Uhlir accounted for a triple-double with 19 assists, 10 kills, 12 digs and a block; Millie Mauch notched a double-double with 18 assists and 11 digs; Olivia Mauch accumulated 20 digs and four assists; Evynn Olsen had 10 digs; Rayna Apley collected six kills and a block; Abby Dahlgren had two kills and three blocks and Keatyn Liebsack pitched in two kills and a block.

‍

‍

Reese Both led the Wolves with 36 assists, 14 digs, three kills and a block. Wallraff tallied 14 kills and three blocks; Heaney recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs, to go along with two blocks; Spies accounted for 12 kills, seven digs, three blocks and an ace; Briganti had five kills and three blocks; Wolf pitched in 21 digs; Hayden Booth accumulated nine digs and Courtney Christo added an ace.

‍

“There is not one weak attacker on our team,” Briganti said. “Reese (Booth) disperses the ball really well. We get our kills when we need to.”

‍

‍

Elkhorn North (19-3) travels to Gretna East Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

‍

Bennington (21-4) hosts Waverly Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

‍

The Wolves and Badgers may very well face each other again on Oct. 7 in the EMC Tournament at Elkhorn North. 

‍

“We have a goal and we have to keep going and keep fighting for it,” Wolf concluded. “There will be some obstacles in our way and we’re going to lose some sets, but we have to keep battling and winning the matches.”