BROOKINGS – Sioux Falls O’Gorman pulled out a 25-19, 19-25, 25-17, 24-26, 15-10 victory over the Bobcats during nonconference volleyball action Thursday night at the BHS Auxiliary Gymnasium.
“We played some fantastic volleyball tonight, we just couldn’t put the points together when we needed them,” said Brookings coach Jodi Melius.
Emma Ronsiek and Courtney Baruth capped a 4-0 spurt with back-to-back kills to give the Lady Knights a 9-7 lead in the final set.
The Bobcats pulled even at 9-all after Kylie Tucker recorded a solo block and then teamed with Emma Hardin for another block.
A Brookings hitting error put OG back on top, before the Bobcats pulled even for the final time – 10-10 – via a block by Tucker and Annika Johnson.
A Bobcat ball-handling error followed by a hitting error staked the Lady Knights to a 12-10 lead.
McKenzie Hermanson then came through with a service ace and Elizabeth Schilling added a kill to give O’Gorman match point.
A hitting error ended the match.
“I thought the blockers for both teams were a huge factor tonight,” added Melius. “Baruth had a lot of blocks for (O’Gorman); she really took our hitters out of the game in some situations and we really had to account for that. And then our blocking, when started picking up some more touches, it really helped our back row out.
“So, I think this match is a perfect example of what a difference good blocking can make.”
Emma Ronsiek paced the Lady Knights (6-2) with 14 kills and Baruth had three blocks.
Hermanson guided the offense with 46 set assists and Meghan Bornhoft paced the defense with 24 digs. Bergen Lindner and Ronsiek both netted a pair of service aces.
For Brookings, Grace Eggebrecht finished with 18 kills and Johnson tallied 17. Hardin added seven kills, Tucker six, and Kailee Bartels and Michaela Jewett four apiece.
Tucker recorded 3 1/2 blocks (two solo). Bartels, Eggebrecht and Jewett each notched a solo block, and Hardin had a pair of assists and the Bobcats totaled eight blocks (five solo).
Megan Gilk paced the defense with 33 digs. Jewett had 51 set assists and 29 digs. Ashlyn Borah had 19 digs, Alli Gordon added 12, and Johnson and Borah both chipped in with 10. Tucker and Hardin contributed an ace apiece.
Brookings (1-4) plays host to Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Junior varsity – O’Gorman won 25-14, 22-25, 15-10
Kills – Ashley Anderson 11, Johanna Miller 6, Clarissa Miller 5, Haley Sampson 4. Aces – Anderson 2. Blocks – C. Miller 1. Set assists – Brittany Birgen 13, Kennedy Schafer 11. Digs – Alli Gordon 15, Schafer 15, Anderson 7.
Sophomore – O’Gorman won 19-25, 25-22, 15-10
Freshman A – O’Gorman won 25-18, 25-22
Freshman B – O’Gorman won 25-19, 25-14
