Wildcats drop two at home

By: 
Ron Burtz

After two losses at home last week, Custer High School volleyball coach Jill Hohn continues to be optimistic about the progress being made this season by what is essentially a brand new team.
In Tuesday’s game against the Douglas Patriots, the Wildcats got off to a slow and rocky start losing the first two sets 25-19 and 25-18. However, led by top notch serving by Ally Cass, the Wildcats came back to win set three by a score of 25-17.
“Ally had an amazing serving game against Douglas which is one of the reasons we did so well in that third set,” said Hohn. “She ended up with eight ace serves.”
That victory gave the team the nudge it needed to be much more competitive in the fourth and final set which Douglas won by a score of 25-20.
Kellyn Kortemeyer led the team in kills with eight and Cass had nine kills. Josey Wahlstrom dug up six digs, Bailey Cass had 12 assists and sister Ally contributed seven.
“I thought we played better tonight than we did on Tuesday,” said Hohn of Thursdays at home 3-0 loss to the Belle Fourche Broncs. “Belle has a much stronger offense and serves and we adjusted to that a lot better and we played stronger tonight than we did on Tuesday even though we only went three sets.”
The Wildcats’ perennial problem of getting matches off to slow starts was in evidence Thursday. Set one ended with the lopsided score of 25-11 which saw the Broncs leading most of the way.
“This whole season we’ve been slow on our start and that’s something we need to figure out,” said Hohn, “because that first set is so important. Thankfully they are a team that then has the heart to come back and play their hearts out so we have that going for us.”
Hohn notes the team continues to make “a few too many hitting errors.”
Explaining it’s a young team without a lot of court experience, Hohn said hopefully that situation will improve as the season goes along.
Kortemeyer continued to lead the way in Thursday’s game with eight kills. Ally Cass had four kills, Bailey Cass had six assists and Ally Cass had five. Jojo Larson made two ace serves and Wahlstrom had four digs.
In two at-home homecoming week games, Custer hosted Sturgis on Tuesday and faces Hot Springs on Thursday. The team travels to Rapid City Christian for a game Saturday afternoon.  

 

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