Superlarks start fast and sweep Blooming Prairie
Published 10:01 pm Thursday, October 26, 2017
- Grand Meadow’s Allie Sloan (13) and Hailey Hindt (25) put up a block on Blooming Prairie’s McKenna Hein Thursday night during a Section 1A West quarterfinal match in Grand Meadow. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
GRAND MEADOW — The No. 4 seeded Grand Meadow volleyball team opened the postseason with authority as it swept No. 5 Blooming Prairie by scores of 25-5, 25-19, 25-16 in GM Thursday.
The Superlarks (22-10 overall) opened the match with a 16-1 lead in game one as Jordyn Glynn went on a 11-point serving run. Glynn, a junior hitter, finished with 12 kills and 14 digs in the win.
Blooming Prairie’s Sam Wurst makes a dig next to her teammate Linnea Sunde in front of the BP bench in Grand Meadow Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“We just had to come out play for each other and be really positive,” Glynn said.
BP (14-12 overall) made things interesting in the second game when they led 18-15, but the Superlarks responded by scoring 10 of the last 11 points of that game. Kaitlyn Hilton had two key kills to put GM up 20-18 and 21-19.
“I think that run was a wake up call for us. It was good for us,” GM head coach Tori Burmester said. “Four and five matchups are always scary, especially against Blooming Prairie, who we’ve never played before. We knew we wanted to get to Rochester and we knew they were in the way. I was happy that we came out like we did.”
The Superlarks were able to off-set BP’s big-hitting attack with a strong balance of blocking up front and solid back row play. GM sophomore Isabelle Olson said everything was clicking on defense.
The Grand Meadow volleyball team celebrates a point scored against Blooming Prairie in a Section 1A West quarterfinal match in GM Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“We were trying to make the reads and get there and the blocks did a good job up front,” Olson said.
McKenna Hein had eight kills and Heather Pirkl had 17 set assists for BP.
The Superlarks will now take on top-seeded Hayfield in the Section 1A West semifinals in Mayo Civic Center in Rochester Saturday at 1 p.m. It is the second straight year GM will play in Civic Center and Glynn said the Larks should feel more comfortable this time around.
Ayren Ingvalson goes up for a hit for Blooming Prairie in Grand Meadow in a Section 1A West quarterfinal match Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“I think last year we were really nervous at Rochester, but this year we know what to expect up there,” Glynn said.
GM stats: Riley Queensland, 17 kills; Jordyn Glynn, 12 kills, 14 digs; Kaitlyn Hilton, 8 kills; Allie Lubahn, 37 set assists; Skylar Cotten, 10 digs; Meghan Eastlee 13 digs, 3 aces
BP stats: McKenna Hein 8 kills, 9 digs; Ayren Ingvalson, 4 kills, 4 digs; Sam Wurst 4 kills, 2 blocks; Heather Pirkl, 17 assists; Julia Worke 2 kills, 5 digs
Grand Meadow’s Jordyn Glynn attacks from the right side against Blooming Prairie Thursday night in Section 1A West quarterfinal match in Grand Meadow. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com