Southland volleyball team sweeps Randolph in tournament opener
Published 10:50 pm Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Southland’s Sydney Bendtsen hits in game two against Randolph in a Section 1A West Tournament match Tuesday night in Adams. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
ADAMS — The No. 8 seeded Southland volleyball team overcame an energetic Randolph squad to get a sweep and keep its season alive in a Section 1A West play-in match in Adams Tuesday.
The Rebels beat the No. 9 Rockets (7-19 overall) by scores of 25-21, 25-21, 25-19 and Southland will play at No. 1 ranked Faribault Bethlehem Academy 7 p.m. Thursday.
Southland’s Olivia Gray celebrates a game-two-ending block with teammates against Randolph in a Section 1A West match Tuesday night in Adams. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Rockets came out with a lot of energy early on as they came back from a 10-3 hole in set one to pull within 21-20, but the Rebels scored the last four points to win that set. Randolph also was within 22-20 late in the second set, but Olivia Gray hammered down one of her 14 kills on the night to put Southland ahead 23-20 and the Rebels held on in that set and rolled in the final set.
“We started to play our game. We played quick and scrappy. We took over their loud energy and we brought it to our own bench,” Gray said. “Early on, we had some first game jitters.”
The Rebels (7-15 overall) stayed active in the back row the entire night and Syndey Bendtsen led the way with 17 digs. Southland was able to extend a lot of rallies by making diving plays in the back row and that’s just how their head coach wanted them to play.
“We knew they would be scrappy,” Southland head coach Eric Thorson said. “We saw they had a lot of energy and we hadn’t really seen that before. We came out and we had to keep fighting. It might not be pretty, but as long as we win, that’s what counts. It was a great win for the seniors and I’m happy for them.”
The Rebels will now play perennial Section 1A power FBA in Faribault and Thorson is hoping his team brings the same intensity to that match that it had on Tuesday.
Southland’s Gabrielle Smith hits against Randolph’s Alyssa Whitson during game one in a Section 1A West Tournament match. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“They have lost this year. All it takes is for us to be as scrappy as we were tonight,” Thorson said of the FBA match. “When we’re picking up digs and they can’t find places to get the ball they kind of get down on themselves. That’s what we’re shooting for.”
Southland stats: Olivia Gray, 14 kills; Gabby Smith, 11 kills, 2 ace blocks; Kaysie Allen, 20 set assists; Meredith Heimer, 3 ace serves; Sydney Bendtsen, 17 digs
