Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Kimball volleyball gets first win in busy week of play

Two triangulars and a tournament last week provided a lot of action and tough competition for the Kimball volleyball program. The Lady Horns split the first triangular with one loss and one win at Bridgeport on Sept. 5 and followed up at home for two disappointing losses on Thursday, Sept. 7. The Horns were back at it just two days later for the Bridgeport tournament and came home in third place with three wins.

In the first game against host Bridgeport on Tuesday, Hannah Biesecker and teammate Kate Reader were each credited with four kills, followed by two each from Justine Heeg and Hailey Paxton and one by Jenna Greenwood.

Heeg led in assists, with three, Wynne added two assists and Wurdeman one. Paxton was the only successful solo blocker in the game against Bridgeport.

Bridgeport took the game in two sets, 25-10, 25-15.

Following the Bridgeport loss, the Lady Horns won over Garden County in three sets, 25-13, 27-25 and 25-13.

Leading the Lady Horns in their first win of the season offensively was Biesecker with 11 kills, followed closely by Reader with 10, Heeg with three and Paxton with 2. Greenwood led with three ace serves, while Heeg, Paxton and Biesecker each added one. Heeg offered 14 assists and Wurdeman added four.

Defensively, Biesecker logged the sole block and no digs were recorded.

The Kimball ladies hosted a triangular just two days later and came up short with a loss to Mitchell in two sets, 25-18 and 25-13, followed by a loss to Potter-Dix in three.

Of 47 attempts, just ten kills were successful, with Biesecker totaling five, Reader and Greenwood two each and Paxton one.

Serving, which has consistently been a trouble spot for the Lady Horns, was improved against Mitchell, with Biesecker serving up two aces and Paxton one.

Just one dig was recorded, by Wurdeman, and no blocks. Heeg offered seven assists and Wynne one.

The home team rallied against Potter-Dix, narrowly losing the first set 25-23 before taking the second set 25-21 and finally losing in the third, 25-17.

The charged game against neighboring Potter-Dix showed 18 kills from the home team. Biesecker racked up eight, Reader four and the team got two each from Heeg, Paxton and Greenwood. The Lady Horns served up four aces, with three from Greenwood and one from Wurdeman.

The Lady Coyotes kept the hometown team hopping, with 27 kills to their credit, 14 from Trinity Langley, a 6'0" senior and 13 from fellow senior Audrey Juelfs, 5'9".

Defensively, the Kimball team blocked five, with Paxton earning two and one each from Reader and Biesecker, who along with Heeg, logged the sole successful digs.

Two days later the Lady Horns traveled to Gordon-Rushville for a Saturday tournament to face the Lady Bulldogs once again, for a loss in two sets, 25-14 and 25-18, followed by three big wins against Hay Springs, Potter-Dix and Gordon-Rushville.

The Kimball club took Hay Springs in three sets, 25-16, 23-25 and 25-19 again with Biesecker in the lead with 12 kills and three aces. Reader and Heeg each added two kills while Greenwood added one kill and one ace and Sheridan Magninie logged one kill.

Reader led defense with three solo blocks and Hannah Biesecker, Sydney Biesecker and Magninie each added one.

The hometown team took on Potter-Dix in the second game of the day and won in three sets against the Lady Coyotes, 25-23, 22-25 and 25-19.

Leading the Lady Horns offensively was Hannah Biesecker with 12 kills, followed by Reader with six, Greenwood with four, and one each from Wynne, Heeg and Sydney Biesecker.

Greenwood and Hannah Biesecker led with aces as well, tying their count at four each followed by Heeg with two and one each for Wurdeman and Magninie.

Heeg added 12 assists, Wynne five, Wurdeman four, and Hannah Biesecker one.

Defensively, Wynne logged the only block and Reader was credited with the solo dig.

The only loss of the day for the home team was against Bridgeport, but the Lady Horns charted 11 kills and two aces against their host. Biesecker led in kills with six followed by Reader with three, and Greenwood and Wynne with one each.

Greenwood and Wurdeman each served up an ace and Heeg logged the only block of the game as well as seven assists, followed by Wurdeman with two and Wynne with one.

Finally, the Kimball ladies played their host, the Gordon-Rushville Mustangs for a handy win in two sets, 25-21 and 25-16, garnering the Lady Horns third place in the tournament.

Hannah Biesecker logged five kills, Reader four, and three each from Heeg and Greenwood, followed by two from Sydney Biesecker.

The Kimball Lady Longhorns traveled again for a triangular against Gordon-Rushville and Hemingford on Tuesday, Sept. 12. No information was available at press time. Today, Thursday, Sept. 14, the Lady Horns will meet the Pine Bluffs Hornets, in Pine Bluffs, Wyo.