Lady Indians win offensive battle with Hunters

BISMARCK — With both teams noted for their offensive prowess, it was no wonder that there were a total of 63 kills in the match between the Ste. Genevieve Hunters and the Bismarck Lady Indians in Monday’s match. And it was no surprise that the match went three sets, either. The Lady Indians prevailed for a final score of 25-21, 19-25,  25-18.

Darcy Latham led the Lady Indians attack with setter Jamey Kelley using her as her favorite mark. Latham obliged with 24 kills in the match. Kelley made a total of 34 assists.

A tentative start by both teams  resulted in the exchange of side-outs with Bismarck trailing until for the eighth time in game one the two teams were tied at 13-13, with Latham up to serve next.

Gaining full strength with her patented jump serve, Latham served an ace to break the deadlock, and then four more points a to propel the Lady Indians to an 18-13 edge. A time-out by the Hunters in the middle of the run was answered with a second ace after the break. Ste. Genevieve failed to score on serve the rest of the game.

 The Hunters jumped out to the early lead in game two with Mallory Huck taking charge of the Hunter’s attack at the net. With setters Whitney Burr and Ali Giesler supplying the ammo, Huck put away all five of her kills in game two.

Burr served the Hunters to a 7-2 advantage with four points including an ace. The Lady Indians answered back with Latham again at the service line. The senior hitter rifled five more points on her serve including her third ace, and tying the game in the process.

The score was tied seven times in game two with Latham continuing her onslaught at the net along with kills by Jessica Sago and Heather Prunty, but what seemed to be flowing full soon dried up as the Lady Indians made five attack errors in the second game, and the Hunters took advantage after tying the game at 16.

Monica Inman served three straight for the Hunters, and Paige Schmelzle followed with the longest serving streak for either team with six straight all the way to game point.

What needed fixing, the Lady Indians repaired during the break, Kallie Pearl served the Lady Indians to an 8-2 early lead. The Hunters would never retake the lead. They tied it at 12-12, but Kelley was on target with her sets as Latham and Prunty kept the Hunters reeling . Latham made 11 kills in the final game., and Prunty had five.

Scoring 2-3 points on every turn at serving, the Lady Indians stayed just out of reach of the Hunters until Prunty took a Pearl set and hammered the ball off of a Ste. Genevieve double block for her ninth kill of the evening. Hailey Cadwell served out the last two points of the match.

Bismarck (13-5-1) will be at home again today to face conference foe Valle Catholic. Ste. Genevieve (13-7-2) will host Farmington today in Large-School conference play.