With a team that’s replacing a number of their athletes from a year ago, the Eagle Grove volleyball team will be a work in progress for a time until they can jell together into a more confident unit.
Last Tuesday in Gowrie, they took on the host Southeast Valley along with South Hamilton in a triangular. They lost to the Hawks by scores of 25-9 and 25-7. Team serving was at 70.4 percent efficiency, with Dani Lobato 6 of 7 for 85.7 percent. Lobato and Huse set for three assists each, with Blomgren and Huse making three kills each in the attack. Steil and Huse had four digs each and Blomgren one solo block.
South Hamilton 2, Eagles 0
Player Serves(A) Digs Kills Solo/Ast. blocks
Blomgren 3-5 (1) 1 3 1/0
Jeske 2-5 (1) 1 0 0/0
Ell 3-4 (0) 0 1 0/0
Woodbeck —– 0 0 0/0
Steil 1-2 (0) 4 1 0/0
Lobato 6-7 (0) 3 1 0/0
Huse 4-4 (0) 4 3 0/0
In the match with the host Jaguars, the purple & gold lost in straight sets 25-14 and 25-12 but played much more competitively in this match. Team serving was at 69.2 percent, with Steil and Lobato both at 2 of 2. Steil set for two assists while Blomgren and Jeske pounded a kill each over the net. Three Eagles managed two digs each to lead the defense, while Blomgren went vertical for two solo blocks.
Southeast Valley 2, Eagles 0
Player Serves(A) Digs Kills Solo/Ast blocks
Blomgren 1-2 (0) 1 1 2/0
Jeske 1-3 (1) 2 1 0/0
Ell 2-3 (1) 1 0 0/0
Woodbeck ——– 0 0 0/0
Steil 2-2 (0) 2 0 1/0
Lobato 2-2 (0) 1 0 0/0
Huse 1-1 (0) 2 0 0/0
On Thursday they hosted Forest City in the home opener, with the Indians prevailing in straight sets 25-8, 25-3 and 25-9. The home ladies started fairly well, but then faded as the visitors pulled away to a 20-5 lead. The Eagles had a brief run in set one as an Indian serve out of bounds made it 20-6 and another hit out made it 20-7. The Eagles couldn’t handle the next ball when returned and the score became 21-7. It went to 22-7 before another Forest City serve that went out made it 22-8. That was all the home ladies would get, as the Indians went on from there to close it out.
The second set had Forest City soon up 10-0 as the Eagles struggled to get into a rhythm with a point of their own. It finally happened, as an Indian serve into the net broke the ice. It was followed by a hit into the net on a kill attempt for a 21-2 score. It was 24-2 when there was some communication trouble between Indian players resulting in an Eagle point. That would be it, as a hit out of bounds ended it for the Indian win.
Set three saw the visitors up 3-0 as Blomgren made a tap over that couldn’t be returned for 3-1. They would go on a run to 8-1 before a serve into the net gave the Eagles back the ball at 8-2. After an Indian point, Blomgren went back to work by dropping the ball into an open spot on the other court to make it 9-3. An officials call gave them another, with trouble for the Indians on the return making it 9-5. The Eagles had some new life with a run of their own.
It would be short lived, as Forest City went right back on the attack to build it to 16-5 before a serve out gave the home team a point. That would be the last they would get for awhile, as the Indians took it to 23-6 and on the brink of set and match point. Then they temporarily stalled out, and they had trouble handing the ball to get it over and then it went out of bounds to make it 23-7. An Indian kill attempt also went out for a 23-8 score as the Eagles kept hanging around. Another Eagle point made it 24-9, only to have the match end on the next serve.
The team ended up at 88.2 serve efficiency. Lobato was the leader at 5 of 6 successful. Ell made two assists, Blomgren three kills and Jeske four digs. Blomgren also added a solo block,
Forest City 3, Eagles 0
Player Serves(A) Digs Kills Solo/Ast. Blocks
Blomgren 2-2 (0) 0 3 1/0
Jeske 2-3 (0) 4 0 0/0
Ell 2-2 (0) 1 0 0/0
Woodbeck——- 0 0 0/0
Steil 2-2 (0) 1 0 0/0
Kaiser —— 0 0 0/0
Lobato 5-6 (2) 3 0 0/0
Flumerfelt —— 0 0 0/0
Huse 2-2 (0) 2 0 0/0
“I feel like this year is definitely going to be one to remember, no matter the outcome of the season, with everything going on with the coronavirus,” said Huse. “As we started open gym recently, I was able to get a look at how everything is going to happen and take place. For my senior year, the main thing I want to focus on is not myself but my team. Everything we go through I want us to get through together. As my last year, I want this team to be the best team it can be.”
The team hosts Belmond-Klemme this Thursday, then go to Algona next Tuesday to play at Bishop Garrigan.
