By: Emma Kuchta - CHS Journalism
After a first set scare, the Crofton Warriors volleyball team swept the Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats 3-0 for the first game of the season on Thursday, Aug. 28.
“It was a good game to shake our nerves,” said Crofton head volleyball coach, Lisa Eilers. After losing five seniors and five key players, the Warriors have a whole new starting squad. Eilers said that the season is still early but I am looking to fit in the “right pieces to the puzzle.”
One of Crofton’s two returning starters, Jaisie Janssen, was the top hitter of the match, recording 17 kills and 2 aces. “I thought the game went really well for it being our first game together. It was so much fun to get back to playing again,” said Janssen.
The Warriors got off to a rocky start in the first set; in spite of that, Janssen posted 7 kills, and one of the other returning seniors, Addyson Ostermeyer, added 4 to that total. With those efforts, Crofton outlasted the Wildcats winning 26-24.
Then the Warriors went on a roll and won two straight sets. The second set, with a score of 25-15, was led by Crofton’s defense where they had a total of 16 digs, which translated into some great offense and led on to 12 kills.
During the third set, Hartington/Newcastle went on a 4-1 run to tie it at 12 but the Warriors responded and won 25-21. Ostermeyer, who had 3 aces in that set said, “We had our ups and downs, but there are definitely some good things to work on.”