A victorious week for the Irish volleyball team started out Tuesday, September 7, when they triumphed over the Rogers Royals. After that, the Irish traveled to B-B-E on Thursday, September 9, to crush the Jaguars. The Irish ended the week by dominating the court at the University of Minnesota Morris Tournament Saturday, September 11.
Irish vs. Rogers
Starting off the week on the right track, the Irish defeated the Royals in four games. Game one was close, but the Irish finished the game with a two-point lead, 25-23. Turning it up a notch in game two, the team finished plays at the net and served hard for a 25-13 victory. Struggling to make plays at crucial times throughout game three, the Irish fell behind and lost 21-25. However, the Irish prevailed in game four, 25-22.
Rogers dug up almost everything the Irish threw at them, but putting the ball down was sophomore Rachel Sawatzke with 11 kills, junior Lindsey Smith and freshman Andrea Rachel, both with 9 kills. On the other hand, the Irish also covered the court defensively, and leading the way was sophomore Sarah Latour with 11 digs.
Irish vs. B-B-E
For two consecutive years, the B-B-E Jaguars have been conference champs, but on Sept. 9, the Jaguars were overpowered on their own court by the Irish. This four-game match started and ended as a constant battle for the lead. Game one was a series of intense volleys that ended in favor of the Irish, 25-23. The momentum of game one carried over into game two as the Irish dominated the entire game, 25-13. Unable to finish the match, the Irish lost game three 21-25. However, they came right back with great offensive attacks to seal the deal in game four, 25-22.
“We knew we had to come ready to play, and as a team we just put it all together for a huge victory against the defending conference champs,” said sophomore Rachel Sawatzke.
Highlights of the game included senior Jen Kempenich with 17 kills, and both sophomores, Rachel Sawatzke and Sarah Latour, not missing a serve.
Morris Tourney
Winning both of their weekly games wasn’t enough for the Irish. They also took first place in the University of Minnesota Morris Tournament, which consisted of 16 teams. Early on Saturday, the Irish beat Sauk Centre 25-23 and 25-16. Next, they defeated Lac Qui Parle Valley 25-21 and 25-14. The Irish came out victorious in their pool after a 25-18 and 28-26 win against Hancock.
Then, the Irish were put into the gold division where the competition became tougher. The team’s first game was against Underwood. The Irish won game one 25-23, lost game two 21-25, and finished it in game three with great defensive work at the net, shutting down Underwood’s hitters for a 15-8 victory. This put the Irish in the championship game against the Southwest Star Concept Quasars. The Irish finished strong, defeating the Quasars in two games, 25-12 and 25-21, to win the tournament.
Not only did the Irish make a name for themselves as the tournament champions, but senior Jen Kempenich was also the tournament’s MVP.