By Kari Basey
“It is a sentimental night,” said Athletic Director Kathy Leiding on Tuesday, October 18, preceding the Lyons volleyball match with Mead High School. “Senior night is an opportunity to honor all the senior players who have contributed to the volleyball program over the last four years. It is also an opportunity to recognize the support that all parents play by encouraging their daughters and team.”There are seven seniors on the team this season: Andrea Biniskiewicz, Michelle Hickey, Shannon Gilman, Jesse Montross, Angela Piergentili, Lauren Simpson and McKell Sundrud. Biniskiewicz missed some matches due to injury but returned and played well on the JV as an outside hitter and on varsity as a right-side hitter. Michelle Hickey, varsity team captain, is a primary middle blocker/hitter for the varsity team contributing 48 blocks and 39 kills so far this season. Shannon Gilman is an offensive mainstay for the varsity, recording 96 kills this season, 22 blocks and 7 aces as an outside hitter. Montross, a three-year all-conference player and starting setter last season, hopes to return to action in the play-offs after recovering from a major injury. Piergentili is a middle blocker on the JV and fought through two injuries this season to contribute to her team as well. Simpson has seen significant time on varsity playing right-side and middle hitter. She has 4 block solos and 4 block assists this season so far. McKell Sundrud, leader and captain of the “C” team, greatly contributed with her setting skills this season.
Varsity Coach Jeff Klipstein reflected: “For me this group of seniors is special because they have been in the program with me for four years, and they are a tremendous group together and individually. I am happy to have worked with them because they are great leaders and players.”
After honoring the seniors and their parents, and a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled banner by show choir singers, it was time to play ball. The Mead Mavericks entered the contest with a 9-8 record. The first game was a hard fought battle with several ties throughout the game. The Lady Lions were down in the first set 22-24 before Madeline Keen served them back in the game including a well-placed ace. The Lady Lions had game point on a kill by Joelle Holst before the Mavericks regained their composure winning the match 27-25. The second game mirrored the first with Lyons down 22-24 before bouncing back and having game point on the Mavericks behind some key serving by Sydney Stevelinck. Unfortunately, they were not able to close the set and lost 27-25 again. The third set was all Mead as they won 25-15.
Several Lady Lions contributed to the offense behind the 23 assists of Keen. Stevelinck was perfect with 4 kills in 4 attempts, no errors. Michelle Hickey hit a .500 with 3 kills; Keen had 4 kills, Gillman 4 and Basey 15. Both teams hit almost identical hitting percentages: .340 for Mead and .348 for Lyons. Molly Neiley led the Mavericks with 18 kills. Mead’s strength was serving, as they had 15 aces with only 2 errors, compared with 7 aces and 6 errors for the Lady Lions. Basey had 3 aces, Keen 2. Mikayla Martinez contributed 8 for Mead. Lyons had the upper hand in blocking, with 8 team blocks, compared with 1 for Mead. Hickey had 3 solo blocks. Libero Genna Gibson had a strong night on defense leading both teams with 17 digs. Basey helped with 10 digs, Holst 9, and Weglarz 6. Kelsey Lutz led the Mavericks with 13 digs.
Varsity coach Jeff Klipstein, although disappointed that his team could not close out the first two sets, believes his team is “moving in the right direction toward playoffs.”
The JV and “C” teams for Lyons had their work cut out for them as Mead is deep in talent. The JV team struggled in their last home match of the season: 20-25, 10-25. The “C” team also struggled 11-25, 9-25 against a “C” team capable of running a sophisticated offense. “C” Team Coach Valerie Stuczynski was pleased with how her team passed and kept their composure against such a tough team. She noted, “Mikayla Roth played particularly well this match, hustling on defense.” When asked about the season overall, she responded, “I enjoyed getting to know all the girls and seeing them improve.”
On Thursday the Lady Lions had their last league match against Platte Valley (12-6) in Kersey. The first game Lyons only scored 10 points, but rebounded to score 22 and 21 against a strong Broncos squad in the second and third.
Despite the loss in three straight sets, there were some strong individual performances. Gibson led both teams in digs with 14; Holst had 7, Weglarz 6. Stevelinck served incredibly well with 6 aces, no errors. Basey led the team in kills with 11; Gilman had 4, Keen 3. Keen also had 15 assists. Lyons had no answer for Bronco Arianna Olson who had 15 kills.
The “C” and JV teams also lost in straight sets to Platte Valley and finished their seasons.
If the varsity team wins their match on Tuesday, October 25, against Heritage Christian, they will advance to the District Championships on Friday, October 28, at Alexander Dawson School.
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